The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

At the top of a towering mountain in the Divine Sword Sect, where a simple sword pavilion stands, a young woman sat quietly inside.

Her hair, as black as ink, cascaded down her back like a waterfall. The young woman had delicate features and skin as fair as snow, with a beauty that could enchant nations. Her expression was serene and gentle, but her eyes revealed a deep longing.

In her mind, she often thought of a young man who was half a year younger than her. His mischievous words that once brought her joy still echoed in her ears.

"Xin'er, your heart has not yet settled," came a voice from behind her, just as the young woman was lost in her thoughts.

The young woman, Ye Xin, stood up and turned around, looking apologetically at the kind woman in front of her. "Master, I've disappointed you."

The woman, who appeared to be in her twenties and was not overly beautiful, still possessed a refined grace. In reality, she was the revered Sword Saintess of the Divine Sword Sect and was actually sixty-six years old. The serene young woman before her was none other than Ye Xin, Lin Qian's fiancée, who had been betrothed to him since childhood.

"I'm truly curious, what kind of spell that boy cast on you in the past," the Sword Saintess remarked as she walked over to Ye Xin, guiding her to sit beside her. "Why don't you tell me?"

Ye Xin blushed slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed. "There's no spell, really. It's just that Xiao Qian is full of clever ideas."

"He often told funny stories, what he called jokes, to make me laugh when I was tired from practicing swordsmanship."

"In the snowy winters, when everyone else stayed indoors, Xiao Qian taught us how to ski and have snowball fights—games he invented."

"Xiao Qian is very smart, witty, and brave. Once, after quarreling with my father, I ran out of the city in a huff and encountered a soul beast. I was so scared that I froze on the spot, not knowing what to do."

"While I stood there in fear, Xiao Qian found me and held my hand as we ran together for a long time. In the end, the soul beast caught up with us, and he shielded me from a claw that would have struck my head."

"Xiao Qian was nearly disemboweled. I remember the snow around us was stained red with his blood. If Uncle Lin hadn't arrived in time, we both would have died."

"Fortunately, Aunt Yun was skilled in alchemy and saved Xiao Qian. Otherwise…"

"Oh!" The Sword Saintess nodded as understanding dawned.

It was no wonder that, even though they had been betrothed since childhood and had grown up together, Xiao Qian's heroism had left an indelible mark on Ye Xin's heart.

"My father punished me by making me kneel at Xiao Qian's bedside. No matter how Uncle Lin and Aunt Yun pleaded, my father wouldn't let me get up. In the end, it was Xiao Qian who convinced my father to relent after he woke up," Ye Xin recounted with a blissful expression.

"Hmm? Now I'm really curious. What did he say?" the Sword Saintess asked, intrigued.

"He glared fiercely at my father and said, 'Don't bully my wife, or I'll get up and fight you!'" Ye Xin imitated Xiao Qian's angry expression, making the Sword Saintess laugh heartily.

"What a funny boy," the Sword Saintess said, shaking her head with a smile.

"Master, you're acting strange. Normally, you don't like me mentioning Xiao Qian. Why are you bringing him up today?" Ye Xin suddenly realized, looking puzzled at her master.

The Sword Saintess sighed and gently patted Ye Xin's head. "I've always thought of you as my daughter. Knowing that such an outstanding disciple would marry someone who couldn't cultivate was hard for me to accept."

"But since he's the one my beloved disciple loves, what can I do? Talking about him with you would only upset me, wouldn't it?"

Ye Xin was even more confused now but smiled sweetly. "Could it be that Master has come to accept him and wants to know more about Xiao Qian? He really is an exceptional person, even if he can't awaken his martial soul or cultivate."

Hearing this, the Sword Saintess nodded in realization and murmured, "So that's why the rumors say he can't equip a Yuan weapon—because he has no martial soul. But how could someone like that have such strength?"

"Master?"

Seeing Ye Xin's questioning gaze, the Sword Saintess smiled. "Xin'er, I've received news that the Tyrant Blade Sect used a scheme to attack Ba Mountain City, intending to exterminate your family and disrupt your state of mind. The traitor has already been dealt with."

"What? How could this happen?" Ye Xin's face paled as her heart tightened with worry.

"Don't panic. Your family is safe. The crisis was resolved by the Wanxiang Sect's Young Emperor," the Sword Saintess reassured her disciple, calmly explaining the situation.

After hearing the details, Ye Xin was also surprised. "The Wanxiang Sect's Young Emperor is indeed as formidable as the rumors say. We owe him a great debt of gratitude."

"And interestingly, this Young Emperor has the same name as Xiao Qian," Ye Xin remarked, looking at her master.

But then she noticed the Sword Saintess's peculiar expression as she looked at her. "Your father sent word that the Lin Qian you've been longing for has returned to Ba Mountain City. And Lin Qian is Lin Qian."

"…"

The sword pavilion fell into a deep silence as Ye Xin stared at her master in shock, her mouth slightly agape.

She had once wondered if the Wanxiang Sect's Young Emperor might be her childhood friend, Lin Qian. But she had quickly dismissed the idea—after all, Lin Qian had no martial soul and couldn't cultivate. How could he possibly be the Young Emperor?

Yet now, her master was telling her that the Wanxiang Sect's Young Emperor was indeed the Lin Qian who had disappeared from her life four years ago.

Ye Xin trusted her master completely, knowing she wouldn't lie to her.

Finally, the Sword Saintess handed Ye Xin a letter from her family and then left the sword pavilion.

As she looked at her father's familiar handwriting on the letter, Ye Xin covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

She was crying tears of joy.

After a long while, Ye Xin dried her tears, her long eyelashes trembling as she closed her eyes and entered meditation with a smile.

Her previously unsettled heart was now as calm as still water. The intense fluctuations of her soul power surrounded her, and the sharp sword intent within it seemed capable of shredding everything around her.

Standing outside the sword pavilion, the Sword Saintess smiled approvingly as she observed the changes within.

"Sister, have you changed your mind?" asked a stunningly beautiful woman standing beside the Sword Saintess, frowning slightly at her expression.

"I used to think it would be good for Xin'er to marry your grandson. He is a peerless talent, renowned throughout Linhai Prefecture, and far better than some mediocre man who had vanished without a trace."

"But things are different now. That so-called 'mediocre man' has returned, and he's no longer mediocre. He's the War Emperor's disciple and the Wanxiang Sect's Young Emperor. More importantly, he's the one Xin'er loves."

The Sword Saintess spoke calmly, as if what she said was of little consequence.

Hearing her sister's words, the beautiful woman scoffed. "The War Emperor? I hear he's dying. And as for this Young Emperor, he's just a brute with no martial soul. If his martial soul can't awaken, he'll never be able to break through to the Nirvana Realm."

"A worthless person like that could never compare to my grandson. Love is such a childish notion. Once this Young Emperor dies, Xin'er will lose all hope for him."

A vicious glint flashed in her eyes as she looked at the Sword Saintess. "Will you stop me if I take action?"

"This is not my concern. If you can kill him, it means he wasn't capable enough," the Sword Saintess replied indifferently, as if she didn't care at all about her disciple's fiancé.

The beautiful woman was surprised by her sister's response, but she knew her well. Once she made up her mind, she wouldn't change it.

If the Sword Saintess said she wouldn't interfere, she truly wouldn't interfere.

Watching her sister leave, the Sword Saintess held an opened letter that suddenly appeared in her hand. With a burst of soul power, a sword's hum echoed through the air as the letter disintegrated into white paper fragments, scattering in the wind.

"The War Emperor's illness has already been completely cured by that boy Lin Qian. Trying to kill the War Emperor's disciple is nothing short of suicide," she murmured before turning to leave.

If the beautiful woman had heard this, she would have been terrified.

But how did the Sword Saintess know so much?