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Chapter 472: A Trap

Song Zhiyan hurriedly added, "I don\'t mean anything else by it. I just want to see for myself what a true swordsman is like."

Ye Guan\'s curiosity was piqued. "Are there very few swordsmen in the Eternal Night Empire?"

"There are extremely few swordsmen here," Song Zhiyan said with a nod.

Ye Guan was puzzled. "How come?"

"When that extraordinary woman from the Eternal Clan became the empress, the Eternal Night Clan and a few sects were unhappy. A war broke out soon afterward, and the most powerful sect of the Eternal Night Empire, the Sword Sect, ended up getting involved."

"Were they annihilated?"

"Yes. The majority of the Sword Sect\'s swordsmen were killed, while the remaining disciples of the Sword Sect were exiled to the Bitter Cold Realm; they were never seen nor heard from again."

"Does that mean that swordsmen became exceedingly rare here? What happened to the sword inheritances? Was everyone prohibited from becoming a swordsman?"

"Yes, and even if someone were a swordsman, they wouldn\'t dare to reveal it for fear of being branded as a rebel. Once branded as a rebel, the Eternal Night Army would come and kill them immediately, even without the emperor\'s permission."

"Does this mean that I shouldn\'t reveal my identity as a swordsman?"

"Young Lord Ye, you\'re definitely not a rebel nor a remnant of the Sword Sect. You\'re from the outside world, and you have the support of the Great Daoist Brush as well.

"However, it\'d be better for you to err on the side of caution and hide your true identity to avoid unnecessary trouble.

"I understand," Ye Guan replied with a nod. He was a little surprised. He had no idea that the Eternal Night Realm had outlawed swordsmanship and with such harsh punishment, too. Who would dare to become a swordsman?

Of course, Ye Guan had no interest in the Eternal Night Realm\'s grudge against swordsmen. He wasn\'t here to promote swordsmanship, anyway.

Song Zhiyan asked, "Young Lord Ye, do you know the True God personally?"

"Yes," Ye Guan replied.

Song Zhiyan immediately became interested. "Just how strong is she?"

Ye Guan smiled. "Lady Zhiyan, do you want to know more about her?"

Song Zhiyan nodded and explained, "The last time she came to the Eternal Night Empire, she challenged three of our strongest supreme elites, and she defeated them all in just one move. Afterward, she just left without any explanation."

Ye Guan\'s curiosity was piqued. "She came here just for that fight and then left?"

Song Zhiyan nodded.

Ye Guan smiled wryly and shook his head. Sister Zhen is truly something else...

Song Zhiyan asked, "Are you very close to her?"

"Yes," Ye Guan said.

"How close?"

Ye Guan glanced at Song Zhiyan. This lady seems to be quite the gossipmonger!

Song Zhiyan noticed the peculiar light in Ye Guan\'s gaze, and she realized that she had asked too many questions, so she immediately apologized, "S-sorry! Senior Great Daoist Brush Master said that you\'re the True Universe\'s representative.

"The True Universe\'s name is quite impactful here, as we all know that the True God is from the True Universe. That\'s why I asked so many questions."

Cizhen... Ye Guan smiled unknowingly upon recalling their memories together.

"She\'s my big sister," Ye Guan replied.

Song Zhiyan frowned briefly upon seeing the affectionate smile tugging at Ye Guan\'s lips.

"Is she your big sister, or is she more than just a big sister?"

"What?" Ye Guan asked, sounding confused.

Song Zhiyan immediately realized that her tongue had slipped, so she hurriedly muttered, "Ah, I see. So, she\'s your big sister..."

Ye Guan couldn\'t help but do a double take at Song Zhiyan. Something\'s weird with this lady...

The carriage stopped just then, and Song Zhiyan said, "We\'re here."

Song Zhiyan alighted from the carriage, and Ye Guan followed closely behind her.

Ye Guan looked up and saw that they were standing in front of a clan\'s residence. It was a much bigger and more lavish residence than the Song Residence.

Ye Guan saw a plaque hanging on the entrance that said—Ye[1] Residence.

There was a bustling crowd at the entrance, and many people were making their way into the residence.

Song Zhiyan said, "Young Lord Ye, this way, please."

Ye Guan nodded and followed Song Zhiyan into the residence.

"From this moment on, I will have to refer to you as my cousin, Young Lord Ye," Song Zhiyan said.

"Sure," Ye Guan replied. He had to play along if he wanted to conceal his identity.

The two of them walked up to the entrance, and an old man quickly came forward to greet them. He bowed slightly to Song Zhiyan and said, "Clan Leader Song, the Young Mistress has invited you into the inner hall."

Song Zhiyan nodded.

The old man turned around and led the way, but he turned around and looked at Ye Guan after taking just two steps. The old man looked hesitant, but it seemed like he had something to say.

Song Zhiyan calmly urged, "Lead the way."

The old man dared not speak; he simply turned around to lead the way.

They walked for about half an hour before they finally reached the inner hall. Ye Guan couldn\'t help but feel annoyed at how inconvenient their journey had been. It wasn\'t a good thing to have a vast residence, especially if flight was prohibited.

The old man brought the two of them to a great hall. Then, he bowed before leaving.

Song Zhiyan led Ye Guan into the hall, and Ye Guan felt a sharp gaze reminiscent of a sword the moment he walked into the hall. Ye Guan turned toward where the gaze had come from and saw an old man curled up in a corner, looking both frail and eerie.

The old man\'s eyes flashed in surprise upon realizing that Ye Guan was looking back at him.

Ye Guan retracted his gaze and looked around. There were two men in the hall, and they were staring at him and Song Zhiyan. The two men soon got up and cupped their fists in greeting. "Clan Leader Song."

Song Zhiyan smiled. "Brother Gu, Brother Li."

The two men nodded slightly, and then they looked at Ye Guan.

Song Zhiyan transmitted her voice to Ye Guan. "There are eight major clans in the Eternal Night City. These two men are the heirs from two of those eight major clans: Gu Chen from the Gu Clan and Li Ming from the Li Clan."

So they\'re a part of the eight major clans? Ye Guan glanced sideways at Song Zhiyan, but he didn\'t say anything in response. Since there were eight major clans, but only three of them were here, the remaining five major clans had to be on the Eternal Night Clan\'s side.

Song Zhiyan decisively sat down somewhere, and Ye Guan sat next to her.

Seeing Gu Chen and Li Ming\'s puzzled expressions, Song Zhiyan smiled and explained, "His name is Ye Guan, and he\'s a distant cousin of mine."

A cousin? Li Ming and Gu Chen stared at Ye Guan with eyes full of doubt. The inner hall of the Ye Residence wasn\'t a place that anyone could enter casually.

Song Zhiyan didn\'t bother explaining even further; she transmitted her voice to Ye Guan, saying, "Shurou is at the outer hall at the moment, and she\'s entertaining the clans that are slightly weaker than the major clans but are supporting her. She\'ll join us soon. The people here are her core supporters, and each and every one of her core supporters is already here."

Ye Guan revealed a mysterious smile and replied, "They\'re all here? I don\'t think so."

Song Zhiyan was surprised, but she didn\'t say anything and merely glanced at Ye Guan.

Ye Guan swept his gaze across everyone in the room, thinking that the Eternal Clan definitely had trump cards hidden up their sleeves. They were competing for the throne, after all, so there was no way they only had one or even two tricks up their sleeves.

"I apologize for keeping everyone waiting," a voice echoed from outside. The voice was as gentle and as soft as water.

Li Ming and Gu Chen immediately stood up upon hearing the voice.

Song Zhiyan stood up slowly, and Ye Guan knew that he couldn\'t remain seated, so he stood up as well and turned to where the voice had come from.

A young woman was walking toward them. The young woman looked to be in her twenties, and she was wearing a light green long dress. Her hair cascaded freely down her shoulders; she wasn\'t exceptionally beautiful, but she was still beautiful.

Her overall demeanor was sophisticated and elegant, which was further accentuated by her clean and neat fashion style.

Ye Guan believed that she had to be Ye Shurou. Her name fits[2] her!

Of course, Ye Guan reckoned that Ye Shurou was more than what he could see at the moment. After all, the candidates for the throne couldn\'t possibly be ordinary.

Ye Shurou\'s gaze immediately landed on Ye Guan, as he was a new face. Ye Shurou sounded surprised as she asked, "Who is he?"

Song Zhiyan smiled. "He\'s a distant cousin of mine."

Cousin? Ye Shurou walked up to Song Zhiyan and asked, "How come you haven\'t mentioned him to me before?"

Song Zhiyan replied, "We didn\'t really have any interactions until recently."

Ye Shurou nodded and sat down. "Please, everyone, have a seat."

Everyone obliged and sat down.

"Everyone, our chances of winning this election are extremely slim," Ye Shurou said, getting straight to the point.

Silence fell over the group, and their expressions turned gloomy.

Ye Shurou continued, "The Eternal Night Empire has seventeen states, and the Eternal Night Clan has the support of seven. If they gain the support of two more states, we\'re definitely going to lose."

"What about the Ancient World?" Song Zhiyan asked in a low voice, "What is their stance?"

Ye Shurou shook her head slightly.

Song Zhiyan\'s face darkened. "The fact that they didn\'t immediately stand on Ye Anjun\'s side means that they must be biding their time as well. They\'re probably going to stand on the side of the winner once everything is decided."

Song Zhiyan turned to Ye Shurou and asked, "What are they asking for?"

Ye Shurou replied, "I don\'t know what they proposed to Ye Anjun, but they wanted a marriage alliance with me."

Song Zhiyan\'s expression instantly turned ice cold. "They\'re bold. If they manage to get into a marriage alliance with you, they will immediately become part of the imperial family once you ascend to the throne."

Li Ming and Gu Chen\'s expressions turned grim at the remark.

If Ye Shurou were to agree to the Ancient Clan\'s demand, she would become a mere political tool for the Ancient Clan, even if she managed to become the empress.

Ye Shurou didn\'t seem to be angry, and she smiled lightly, saying, "It\'s not strange for them to seek profits. After all, there\'s no guarantee that I\'ll win even if they help me. If I lose, the Eternal Night Clan will suppress them in the future."

Song Zhiyan looked at her and asked, "So, what are your plans?"

"Plans?" Ye Shurou shook her head and replied, "We\'ll do what we can and leave the rest to fate."

Song Zhiyan laughed bitterly. "You\'re not going to give up that easily, are you?"

"They\'ve given me a deadline. If I do not give them a reply in three days, they\'ll stand on Ye Anjun\'s side," Ye Shurou replied.

Ye Guan chimed in, "So, the Ancient Clan is the key to winning the election?"

"Yes," An Shurou said with a nod.

Ye Guan was slightly puzzled. "Isn\'t the election based on the vote of the people? Why would the Ancient Clan be a deciding factor?"

Ye Shurou explained, "The seventeen states are under the jurisdiction of the empire, but they operate independently. The Ancient Clan has been ruling over their state for a long time, and they have significant influence over there.

"My situation will improve drastically if they choose to stand on my side. The remaining two states that are still on the fence will support me, too."

Ye Guan nodded slightly. "So, if the Ancient Clan supports you, you will have a good chance of winning the elections?"

Ye Shurou shook her head. "Not necessarily. There is another important stage apart from the elections, which is the tournament."

Ye Guan frowned. "Tournament?"

"A candidate for the throne must be proficient in literary and martial arts. Losing in the tournament means disqualification."

"What\'s the point of this election, then?"

"The winner of the election will receive thirty percent of the King Dao Destiny Aura, which will strengthen them by at least three times."

"Really?"

Ye Shurou nodded.

Ye Guan was silent for a few moments before asking, "Lady Shurou, can we talk privately?"

Everyone in the hall was stunned by Ye Guan\'s remark.

Ye Shurou looked at Song Zhiyan for a while before saying, "Sure."

Song Zhiyan stood up and smiled at Ye Guan. "You two can talk."

Song Zhiyan then turned around and left. Li Ming and Gu Chen hesitated for a while, but they also left after glancing at Ye Guan.

Soon, only Ye Shurou and Ye Guan were left in the hall.

Ye Shurou smiled. "Young Lord Ye, you\'re not Zhiyan\'s cousin, are you?"

Ye Guan nodded. "You have a discerning eye."

"Are you from the outside world?" Ye Shurou asked.

Ye Guan nodded once again.

Ye Shurou was silent for a few moments before saying, "You\'re willing to help me ascend to the throne in exchange for conditions that are incredibly difficult to fulfill. Is that correct?"

What? She\'s smarter than I thought... Ye Guan was astonished. Eventually, he decided to tell her everything about the Universe Tribulation and the Time Reversers.

Ye Guan was running out of time, so he decided to be straightforward. After all, there were only two options: cooperate or not. Ye Guan didn\'t want to waste too much time here.

Ye Shurou paced back and forth across the hall for half an hour before she finally shook her head and said, "Young Lord Ye, even if I do ascend the throne, I won\'t be able to send troops to assist the True Universe."

Ye Guan stared quietly at Ye Shurou.

Ye Shurou explained, "It\'s not the Eternal Night Empire\'s war to fight. The supreme elites here are strong, but they\'re still no match for the Time Reversers. They\'re just going to die if I send them out to fight. Hence, I cannot agree to your request, even if you help me become the empress."

Ye Guan argued, "The eruption of the Universe Tribulation affects every living being."

Ye Shurou remained silent.

"The Time Reversers\' goal is to annihilate the myriad beings. If the True Universe falls, the Eternal Night Empire will not be spared as well."

Ye Shurou sighed and said, "Young Lord Ye, the Eternal Night Empire is not going to believe you. The Eternal Night Empire will not get involved as long as they\'re not under any direct threat. People are selfish, after all, and..."

Ye Shurou shook her head and continued, "Young Lord Ye, you\'re too late."

Ye Guan narrowed his eyes and asked, "The Time Reversers have been here?"

"Yes," Ye Shurou said with a nod.

"They must have promised that if the Eternal Night Empire does not interfere, they will not target you guys. Am I right?"

"They offered more than that," Ye Shurou replied.

Ye Guan stared deeply at Ye Shurou and said, "Let me guess, they offered the True Universe and the Guanxuan Universe to the Eternal Night Empire?"

Ye Shurou nodded and exclaimed, "Brother Anjun, come here!"

A young man clad in an intricate robe walked out. The young man\'s eyebrows were sharp, and he exuded a domineering aura as a faint smile tugged at his lips

Ye Anjun—the other candidate for the throne!

Little Pagoda spoke for the first time in a while, "Careful."

Rumble!

Thirty terrifying auras abruptly came to life around Ye Guan, and each aura was as strong as a Great Destiny Sovereign.

So this was all a trap!

1. A different "Ye" from Ye Guan\'s "Ye." The Ye here is "夜" while Ye Guan\'s Ye is "叶" ?

2. Shurou is 书柔 and 柔 means soft and gentle ?