Chapter 50 – Fellow Disciples

Lu Chengye stroked the bow after wiping off the golden arrow. This Burning Sky Bow was the true treasure – the value of this heaven-grade magic weapon was thousands of times higher than that of an earth-grade magic weapon.

If this bow belonged to him…..as soon as Lu Chengye thought of taking the bow for himself, he recalled the twisted, hateful look on Xue Ren’s face when he told him to kill Cao Zirui.

He couldn’t help but shudder. Although this was a true treasure, if he tried to take it from Xue Ren, he would likely die without a burial place.

Xue Ren was cruel and ruthless, but he was also very patient and cautious. He was like a venomous snake waiting in the dark, waiting to bite once the victim was off guard. 

However wicked Lu Chengye was, he wasn’t stupid. He knew that he couldn’t fight against Xue Ren. So he put aside his greedy thoughts for the moment and focused on honestly completing the task assigned to him.

Xue Ren had already planned out Cao Zirui’s demise, deducing and calculating it step by step. But he still hadn’t foreseen the extent of his master’s partiality, which was so tilted that Xue Ren couldn’t even see the whole picture.

The Floating Island Secret Realm was not a very dangerous training expedition for Cao Zirui, who was already at Foundation Establishment. But his master still fretted over him, and gave Cao Zirui a defensive magic weapon that didn’t require much spiritual power to activate and could automatically protect its owner at a critical moment.

It was actually from Sect Leader Ji’s private collection, not the sect’s. The users of magic weapons were recorded in the Armory Pavilion, so Xue Ren knew that Cao Zirui carried several of them on him, including the Water Soul Bead that required active input of spiritual energy to activate. However, he was unaware of his master’s additions to Cao Zirui’s arsenal, and there were flaws in his murder plan because of this.

Cao Zirui managed to escape the first strike of the Burning Sky Bow.

However, Cao Zirui was completely unaware during his escape that the bell that seemed to be giving him warning was actually the key to Lu Chengye locating him in the dense jungle.

Although he couldn’t see Cao Zirui’s location, the bell in Lu Chengye’s hand, which was exactly the same as the one on Cao Zirui’s waist, was able to point him in the right direction. He shot the second arrow.

And Cao Zirui escaped again.

Although Lu Chengye was annoyed, he was also pleasantly surprised to stumble upon Fang Yang.

There would not be a third time. The second arrow missed its target because he’d shot from a distance without aiming well. This third arrow couldn’t miss at such a close distance, right? 

But it actually failed.

The Water Soul Bead was also an earth-grade magic weapon, and in terms of defensive capabilities, it was actually a little stronger than the private item given to him by Sect Leader Ji before.

Therefore, during the first attack, although the magic weapon had automatically blocked a fatal blow, Cao Zirui was still injured. 

But just now, when Cao Zirui activated the Water Soul Bead, he and Fang Yang had escaped injury while wrapped up inside it.

In fact, it stood to reason that under the attack of a heaven-grade magic weapon, Cao Zirui, whose cultivation level had fallen to the Qi Refining stage, should have absolutely no chance of survival unless he possessed another heaven-grade magic weapon.

However, as Xue Ren had said, Lu Chengye was not a strong enough bowman. He couldn’t even use the divine bow with his own spiritual power, and could only pull the bowstring with the earth-grade magic weapon, the Sun-Chasing Arrow.

The power of the two magic weapons, heaven-grade and earth-grade, did not become stronger when superimposed. Barely one tenth of the Burning Sky bow’s true power was able to be unleashed.

Even this one tenth was enough to leave Cao Zirui and Fang Yang with no ability to fight back, forcing them to flee for their lives.

As he watched the two run farther away, Lu Chengye just stood there leisurely, not in a rush to catch up.

Where could they go? As long as Cao Zirui didn’t remove the bell, he could hunt them down even if they ran to the ends of the earth.

In actuality, Cao Zirui may look impressive, but he was actually as stupid as Fang Yang. Even now, he didn’t know that the one who truly wanted him dead was his shixiong, who had gifted him the bell.

Sharpening the axe would not delay the cutting of the wood. Instead of rushing to catch up, it was better to prepare well first.

Lu Chengye took a few spirit stones out of his storage bag and, with great heartache, infused their spiritual power into the golden arrow.

There was no magic weapon in the world that didn’t require spiritual power to drive it. Whether it was Cao Zirui’s magic weapon that had blocked the first arrow for him, or the Sun-Chasing Arrow in Lu Chengye’s hand, they were able to stockpile spiritual power.

But magic weapons were not like the human body, which could actively absorb spiritual power. The spiritual power stored in the item would always deplete more and more as it was used. 

Likewise, its power dropped lower and lower.

Thus, the reason Cao Zirui and Fang Yang were safe and sound after being hit by the third arrow was not entirely due to the strong defensive capability of the Water Soul Bead, but also because the attack power of the Sun-Chasing Arrow had weakened.

The energy consumption of the magic bow was enormous, and there wasn’t enough spiritual power left in the Sun-Chasing Arrow to shoot it again. He needed to replenish the spiritual power of the magic weapon.

Of course, his own spiritual power wasn’t sufficient, so he had to use spirit stones.

Not just one or two, but hundreds.

After the energy in the spirit stones was completely absorbed by the Sun-Chasing Arrow, they became ordinary stones. Lu Chengye counted them out with an aching heart while absorbing their spiritual power.

He had suffered a huge loss, and squandered a year’s savings.

Forget it, forget it. Once Cao Zirui is dead, all the treasures in his bag will be mine, Lu Chengye thought to comfort himself.

When the Sun-Chasing arrow was filled with spiritual power, Lu Chengye took his first step in pursuit.

He traveled much faster than Fang Yang and Cao Zirui, because they had specifically escaped into the dense jungle to avoid his pursuit.

The dense vegetation obscured their vision and slowed them down, so Lu Chengye should also be unable to see them and be hindered by the branches growing across the ground.

They thought themselves clever.

But they were unaware that Lu Chengye didn’t need to have them in his sights at all. He didn’t enter the jungle, but instead went around through a clear area, and the distance between the two parties increasingly shrunk.

Fang Yang dragged Cao Zirui through the jungle. Although it had been Cao Zirui dragging him at the beginning, the other disciple had begun to lose strength after running for some time.

Fang Yang had only just started to flee, but Cao Zirui had been running for his life for some time now, and the wound on his shoulder had yet to stop bleeding.

Although his spiritual power didn’t drop any further, it showed no signs of recovery. He was lucky that his cultivation level had stopped at the ninth level of Qi Refining.

If he fell below the ninth level, he wouldn’t have been able to activate the Water Soul Bead. He and Fang Yang would have both died in the attack just now.

Cao Zirui’s body was getting weaker. Cold sweat soaked his collar, but he couldn’t stop, because stopping meant death.

Fang Yang knew this as well, so when he saw Cao Zirui’s increasingly pale face, he couldn’t do anything about it despite his anxiety.

He glanced back while running, but there was no sign of Lu Chengye. Had they lost him?

Fang Yang gradually slowed his pace, intending to give Cao Zirui a rest.

However, just as he was about to stop, Feng Ye warned him again from where he was dealing with the siege of monsters under the sea: “Don’t stop!”

Almost at the same moment, the bell began to ring again.

Fang Yang immediately turned his head and saw that dazzling stream of fire again! The flowing fire burned everything, immolating all of the branches that blocked its path.

How was this possible?! They had clearly left Lu Chengye far behind them, so how was he able to catch up and attack from the side?

Cao Zirui thought the same thing, but no matter how unbelievable it was, it was indeed happening.

Lu Chengye had actually circled around them and launched his attack.

This isn’t right. Does Lu Chengye have a method of tracking them? Feng Ye thought as he dodged the mouth of a fish that attempted to swallow him whole.

But before he could figure it out, the continuous attacks from the monsters interrupted his train of thought again.

The golden arrow struck again, and Cao Zirui reached into his storage bag once more. Under Fang Yang’s stunned gaze, he took out another dark blue bead that was exactly the same as the previously shattered Water Soul Bead.

Fang Yang: “……” How many did he have?

History repeated itself as an enlarged bubble once again protected the two disciples.

But this time, when the bubble burst, Cao Zirui clutched his chest and stumbled back. For some reason, it felt as if the power of the golden arrow had increased.

Although he had blocked it again, his chest ached from the shock, and a fishy sweetness crept up his throat. He did his best not to show it.

After the Water Soul Bead shattered, the golden arrow flew back to its owner’s hand to be prepared for the next shot.

Fang Yang didn’t dare remain here, and immediately grabbed Cao Zirui to escape again.

However, after dragging him forward just a couple of steps, Cao Zirui dropped to his knees in exhaustion. He really couldn’t run anymore.

The aftermath of the golden arrow had reflected back onto him. His hands and feet were numb from the shock, and he didn’t have the strength to run.

Seeing his pale face, Fang Yang also realized the extent of his weakness.

But they couldn’t stop here. Under Cao Zirui’s shocked gaze, Fang Yang gritted his teeth, squatted down, and hefted Cao Zirui onto his back.

Before Cao Zirui could react, Fang Yang had already set into motion. He began to run, but his speed wasn’t as fast as when he was unencumbered before.

Cao Zirui clutched Fang Yang’s shoulder with one hand, and couldn’t help but purse his lips and whisper in Fang Yang’s ear: “You don’t need to carry me…..”

Although it seemed that Fang Yang and Lu Chengye had some old grudges between them, Cao Zirui knew that Lu Chengye’s target was actually him. If he and Fang Yang were to separate, there was a ninety-nine percent chance that Lu Chengye would give up on Fang Yang and hunt Cao Zirui instead.

Fang Yang had gotten involved in this matter by happenstance. If not for Cao Zirui, he could have kept living well.

But Fang Yang’s reply was: “Ah? What are you talking about, ah?”

Cao Zirui thought he hadn’t heard his low voice, and started to repeat himself. 

But before he could finish speaking, Fang Yang interrupted him: “You saved me twice. If I don’t take you with me, wouldn’t that make me ungrateful? In that case, what would be the difference between me and Lu Chengye? It’s not worth being someone like him.”

Cao Zirui hesitated: “But…..”

Fang Yang said he’d saved him twice, but the danger he saved him from had been Cao Zirui’s own fault, so it really didn’t count at all.

“No buts,” Fang Yang cut in again. He secured Cao Zirui more tightly to his back and kept going: “We’re fellow disciples, aren’t we? Sect Leader Ji, your master, also said that we should help each other out.”

Fellow disciples…..Cao Zirui silently recited these two words, feeling that they were very complicated. A fellow disciple was hunting him down by all means, while another was protecting him at the risk of his own life.

Suddenly, he realized that the words “fellow disciples” weren’t that complicated , but human nature was.

“Cao Zirui,” Fang Yang suddenly called out.

“En?” Cao Zirui said with some confusion.

“My name is Fang Yang,” he said, introducing himself again.

“I know.” Cao Zirui didn’t understand. Hadn’t he already said his name?

Fang Yang grinned with a mouthful of white teeth and said: “You just met me today, but I’ve known about you for a long, long time.”

“We entered the mountain gates on the same day. Among the group of registered disciples, you were the one wearing the most conspicuous clothing.”

Cao Zirui thought over Fang Yang’s words. His family was well-off, and although his parents were mortals, his family was affluent and powerful.

When he joined Lingxiao Sword Sect, he had not yet changed into the sect’s black and white uniform. A farm boy like Fang Yang would naturally choose to wear ordinary coarse linen clothes, but he was wearing expensive silk, which was indeed very conspicuous. 

“The moment I saw you, I felt that you had a certain aura…..how should I put it…..like a crane standing in a flock of chickens? Yeah, a crane standing among chickens,” Fang Yang continued.

“I was right, you really are a long-legged crane. There were so many disciples, but you were the only one chosen by Sect Leader Ji and accepted as his personal disciple. I really envied you, ah,” Fang Yang lamented sincerely.

Cao Zirui was a little surprised. He was actually aware that many people envied him or were jealous of him. 

It had been like this since he was a child. With his family background, it would be strange if he didn’t attract the jealousy of others.

Perhaps influenced by the adults in their families, the other children always looked at him like this, sometimes accompanied by sour ridicule.

Children were sensitive. Once he realized he was being excluded, Cao Zirui no longer liked playing with others. And over time, he developed a cold face like an iceberg.

It was still the same when he joined the sect. Everyone envied his talent and status, but nobody was willing to admit their jealousy out loud.

They had clearly never spent time with Cao Zirui, but they had already made up their minds that he was different from them, this favored child of heaven who was high above everyone else and difficult to approach.

No one had ever frankly admitted their envy like Fang Yang just did, so Cao Zirui was very surprised.

Then Fang Yang continued: “You’re really amazing. Sect Leader Ji didn’t choose the wrong person. I watched your competition, and you are the well-deserved champion.”

Cao Zirui was a little embarrassed by the youth’s sincere praise, and his habitually expressionless face turned a little red.

“But,” Fang Yang said in a sonorous, powerful voice: “I will surpass you!”

This time, Cao Zirui was completely stunned by Fang Yang’s bold words.

“Cao Zirui, I will surpass you!” Fang Yang repeated loudly.

He was shouting it to Cao Zirui, but also to himself.

“So you can’t die before I defeat you.” Fang Yang exerted force where his hands clutched Cao Zirui’s knees, muttering again: “And I can’t die either.”

Cao Zirui realized that Fang Yang hadn’t said this because he had confidence, but because he wanted to cheer him up.

After a moment of silence, Cao Zirui replied. He wound his arm tightly around Fang Yang’s shoulders: “Fang Yang.”

It was his first time saying Fang Yang’s name.

He continued without waiting for a response: “We will definitely survive. But…..”

He smiled unconsciously, and the iceberg melted with it: “You want to surpass me, but it won’t be that easy.”

“Haha, just wait and see!” Fang Yang responded with an identical smile.

The two youths fled together with an arrow nocked to a bowstring behind them, ready to be fired again.

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Chapter 49 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 51

When Jiang Shuoye opened his eyes, he found himself once again surrounded by clouds and mist, his body plummeting downward.

Here we go again.

Unlike last time, Jiang Shuoye didn’t panic. Having gained experience, he was able to steady himself right away.

When he landed, he walked straight ahead as if following a familiar route.

He walked a little over ten steps before he saw the long table again, along with the hazy, towering silhouette shrouded in mist.

People often said that “what you think about during the day, you dream of at night.” Jiang Shuoye figured that since this place had been on his mind all day, he had found himself back here again in his dreams.

Since he was already here, he decided to make the best of it, and sat down on the only chair.

He looked up at the silhouette, his cool voice echoing: “Are you truly a god?”

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes to look at him, and didn’t answer right away.

“You appeared in my dreams for a reason,” Jiang Shuoye continued. “As the old saying goes, ‘immortals come to teach in dreams.’ Are you here to teach me as well?”

His face was devoid of any frivolity, and his tone was even somewhat respectful.

This was Jiang Shuoye.

Even though he was of the opinion that it was a dream, he wouldn’t act rashly. The one-in-a-million possibility that the other party was really a god was always on his mind.

Of course, he had also learned his lesson after being bullied by Chu Jiubian once before.

Chu Jiubian was very pleased with his attitude.

After all, no one enjoyed being offended.

Feeling that he had pretended enough, Chu Jiubian said: “I know that you have been troubled by something recently, so I came to help you.”

“Help me?” Jiang Shuoye’s troubles in recent days consisted of the Tatars harassing border towns, as well as his newly-trained cavalry.

The common people were going through hard times nowadays, and even the Imperial Court was in trouble after suffering the extravagant consumption of two emperors. The army was weak and depleted, and their allocated rations had been reduced year after year. As a result, the soldiers had difficulty getting enough to eat and drink, not to mention the increased number of war horses.

If this continued, Jiang Shuoye might have to send soldiers back home in order to avoid not being able to support them in the future.

But even so, he was determined to train a group of powerful light cavalry.

Plains were abundant in the Northern Desert, and the Tatars were adept horsemen. If the Mobei Army didn’t have its own cavalry, its combat effectiveness would be far inferior to that of the Tatars.

If actual war broke out, they would lose even more soldiers.

Thus, a cavalry must be trained.

But since ancient times, cavalry had always been the weakest point of the Central Plains people – because their soldiers were practically all commoners.

How many farmers had the opportunity to even see a horse?

Let alone ride one.

Because of this, the cavalrymen he was training now had all started from the simplest step of “mounting a horse,” and their progress was extremely slow.

Jiang Shuoye couldn’t help but frown at the thought of this.

He really was worrying himself to death, to the point that he even began to hope that a so-called god could help him find a solution. Would he be having such ridiculous dreams otherwise?

Chu Jiubian regarded the man in silence as he frowned and sighed, obviously lost in thought again.

Was this first Believer of his a little autistic, ah?

Chu Jiubian had to make some noise to jolt this person out of his thoughts.

Jiang Shuoye heard the crisp sound of jewelry colliding, and looked up at the silhouette of the High Priest.

“The biggest problem with the cavalry is that they can’t sit comfortably on horseback,” Chu Jiubian said in a serene tone. “Equipping the warhorses with these items will solve the problem.”

Jiang Shuoye discovered that a piece of thin paper had appeared out of thin air on the table in front of him.

He picked it up with a frown, and the first thing he noticed wasn’t the contents of the paper, but the “paper” itself.

This paper was white and smooth, hundreds or thousands of times better than the “Langya Gold paper” of the Great Ning Dynasty.

He couldn’t help but stroke it, thinking that such a magical thing could only appear in a dream.

Chu Jiubian watched quietly and didn’t rush him.

He had drawn the blueprints directly in his study, but when he touched that rough, yellowed paper, he’d felt that it wasn’t “magical” at all. Very uncool.

Thus, he’d bought a stack of pure white 4A paper from the System Mall, spending only 0.5 points in total. The System had also given him ten free gel pens as a gift.

So what Jiang Shuoye was seeing and touching now was high-quality paper that was only available in modern times.

Jiang Shuoye finally gave up studying the paper, and turned his attention to what was written on it.

At first, he didn’t understand where the stirrups and saddle went or how they were used.

But to the side was a drawing of a cavalryman equipped with these two tools. He was riding a horse, but under his hips was a saddle to fix his body in place, and further down were stirrups where he could rest his feet.

It only took a glance for Jiang Shuoye’s dark eyes to light up.

He sat up straighter and compared the tool blueprints to the cavalry drawing more closely.

This saddle could stabilize a cavalryman’s body and protect his hips and legs from being injured by all the jolting. And the stirrups not only made it easier to get on and off a horse, but also helped a person ride more steadily.

Most importantly, the cavalrymen could possibly use the stirrups to stand up while fighting the enemy.

Swinging a spear while seated was naturally not as comfortable and efficient as doing so while standing.

Jiang Shuoye’s breathing grew rapid, and he couldn’t help but look at the third tool – the horseshoe.

The hooves of warhorses suffered a certain degree of damage after training and galloping, but with the horseshoes, that damage would be greatly reduced.

Divine objects!

Calling these things divine objects was no exaggeration!

Jiang Shuoye thought to himself that, having reached the position of military commander at such a young age, he should be able to remain calm even in the face of disaster. But now, looking at these treasures, he was so excited that his hands were shaking.

He couldn’t imagine how much their combat effectiveness would improve if the Mobei Army’s horses and cavalry were equipped with these things.

Jiang Shuoye held the blueprints tightly, studying them over and over again. He even had a variety of cavalry tactics running through his mind.

Some formation strategies that he couldn’t even conceive of before seemed to be achievable with such equipment.

He very much wanted to make this equipment straightaway and begin training with it.

At this thought, he suddenly remembered where he was.

He abruptly stood from his chair and looked up at the huge silhouette of the High Priest, his eyes gleaming like torches.

“Jiang Shuoye would like to thank the High Priest for his assistance.” He took a few steps back as he spoke, then knelt straight on the ground and kowtowed three times in Chu Jiubian’s direction.

Chu Jiubian watched his Faith Value skyrocket by three points, and the corners of his lips curled up uncontrollably.

Well done, Xiao Jiang!

“No need for all that.” Chu Jiubian seemed as if he was just casually lending a hand, and his tone remained calm as he said: “These books are also for you.”

The three books he had purchased earlier immediately appeared on the table.

Jiang Shuoye quickly stood up again and walked over, holding the books carefully. When he saw that they actually contained methods to raise horses and train soldiers, his heart pounded like a drum and he started to kneel down and kowtow to Chu Jiubian again.

However, white mist swept over like a pair of hands and prevented him from kneeling any further.

“Thank you, High Priest.” Jiang Shuoye clasped his fist and said, “I cannot repay your great favor. If there is anything I can do for you, I will do my best until the day of my death.”

Chu Jiubian’s cool voice was unaffected as he said: “You only need to protect the common people of the Northern Desert.”

For now. In the future, he might actually need Jiang Shuoye to fight on his behalf.

But if at all possible, Chu Jiubian didn’t want that day to come.

The gratitude and admiration in Jiang Shuoye’s eyes practically overflowed. He could only clasp his fist and bow deeply: “This one thanks the High Priest on behalf of the common people and soldiers of the Northern Desert.”

Jiang Shuoye would be thankful to such a righteous and compassionate god and remember his kindness forever. 

Chu Jiubian smiled and reminded him: “Do you know that all of this equipment is made with iron?”

Iron was currently scarce in the Great Ning Dynasty. If Jiang Shuoye couldn’t find enough of it, Chu Jiubian wondered if he should buy some more books on “how to find ore,” or directly ask the System if there was some method to locate it.

But Jiang Shuoye said after hearing this: “To be honest, although my Jiang family has fallen on hard times, we do have an iron mine in the Northern Desert, which is sufficient to meet the needs of our cavalry.”

In fact, the iron mine was as big as a mountain, and half the weapons in the Mobei Army were obtained from there.

Otherwise, given the character of the Imperial Court, the Mobei Army would have run out of weapons long ago.

But the Imperial Court did not allow the private sale of ironware, and the Jiang family mine was kept secret. Were this not the case, Jiang Shuoye could have supported the Mobei Army solely through the sale of iron.

This was beyond Chu Jiubian’s expectations, and it saved him a lot of trouble.

He had explained everything that needed to be said and obtained his Faith Points, so Chu Jiubian said: “If there is nothing else, you may go.”

Jiang Shuoye hurriedly asked: “High Priest, will I be able to see you again in the future?”

“I will seek you out again.” After speaking, Chu Jiubian told the System to send Jiang Shuoye out of the Divine Realm.

Jiang Shuoye awoke from his dream and immediately sat up.

His gleaming eyes continued to sparkle in the darkness, lacking any trace of sleepiness.

When he dreamed before, he would forget everything soon after waking up. Now that he was awake, he wanted to draw all of the equipment blueprints right away before he forgot them.

However, he had forgotten the books given to him by the High Priest and didn’t know if he would have a chance to enter the dream again. If he did, he would definitely memorize the contents of those books.

He reached out to take the flint from under his pillow and light a fire, but before he could locate the flint, he brushed against something else first.

The sensation was familiar, just like the “magical paper” he had touched in his dream!

Jiang Shuoye’s heart beat like a drum as he continued to hurriedly grope around. After locating the flint, rather than getting out of the bed to look for tinder, he directly set his underclothes on fire and stared at his pillow under the light.

Three books lay neatly beside his patched straw pillow.

Along with the divine blueprints.

*

*

Yaotai Residence.

The main bedroom had long since fallen silent. Xiao Jinzi was currently on night watch, and was resting in the main room of the house.

However, the pavilion in the courtyard was bustling with activity at this time.

Xiao Yinzi’s eyes sparkled. He furtively motioned the other three closer and said in a low voice: “Do you know what I learned today?”

“What?” Shui Yun was somewhat confused.

Shui Qing said impatiently: “Hurry up and say it! Don’t keep us in suspense!”

Earlier today, Chu Jiubian had sighed in the courtyard and said that he missed Qin Xiao. Everyone was baffled, so Xiao Yinzi, who possessed the widest range of contacts, went to inquire.

“But it’s about our lord and the young master.” Xiao Yinzi cut himself off and looked around carefully.

There were only a few servants in this courtyard along with the young master, and many secret guards were hiding outside. It could be said that this was the safest place around aside from Yangxin Palace.

Xiao Yinzi dropped the suspense and said excitedly: “I asked the palace servants I’m familiar with, and they said that on the day of the coronation ceremony, the young master fell from the sky and landed directly in our lord’s arms!”

“And who is our lord? How could he take the initiative to hold someone? But he just went ahead and held our young master. Do you know what this means?”

“What?”

“This means that our young master is different from other people in his eyes!”

“I actually discovered this long ago!” Shui Qing said quickly. “Our lord really does treat the young master differently. In the past, our lord putting someone in prison would be a lifetime sentence, but our young master is the first person he’s released.”

“That’s right,” Xiao Yinzi responded at once. “So our lord definitely feels differently for our young master. Who knows, it might be as those people say, and the two of them are fated by heaven!”

Xiao Xiangzi frowned and said worriedly: “This only shows that our lord has feelings for the young master. But as for how the young master feels……”

Xiao Yinzi chuckled and pitched his voice even lower: “The young master is deeply in love with him! I found out everything. On the day the young master descended from the sky, he said in front of all of the civil and military officials that he was his love tribulation, and that he had come down to earth just for him!”

The three people gasped, and were speechless for a long time.

Xiao Xiangzi blinked, and asked after a moment of shock: “What’s a love tribulation?”

“This…..” Xiao Yinzi scratched his head. “Maybe it just means that the young master and our lord are in love.”

“In love?” Xiao Xiangzi asked, somewhat skeptical.

He had also observed the interactions between their lord and the young master, and felt that they were more unfamiliar than close.

Hearing soft sobbing sounds beside him, Xiao Xiangzi turned his head to find Shui Yun wiping her tears with a handkerchief.

“Shui Yun-jiejie, what’s wrong?” Xiao Xiangzi was bewildered.

Shui Yun looked at him with red eyes, tears streaming down her face: “Hong Xiang, you’re still young and can’t understand our lord’s mind, but I understand clearly.”

The other three were neither as old nor as mature as her, and they all listened intently to her words.

Shui Yun looked off into the distance, eyes full of sorrow as she said: “Flowers fall and water flows…..the young master copied that poem for our lord to hear.”

The three of them exchanged glances.

“Our young master is heartsick, ah.” Shui Yun couldn’t help but choke up.

Shui Qing quickly helped wipe away her tears.

Xiao Yinzi said anxiously: “Jiejie, don’t cry, tell us what’s wrong first.”

Shui Yun calmed down and said in a hoarse voice: “Our lord and our young master must share a fate cultivated over several lifetimes……”

*

*

There was a vat of ice in Chu Jiubian’s room, which Qin Xiao had delivered in the afternoon.

He slept well, mostly without dreaming, but someone residing in Cining Palace woke up three times that night.

When Empress Dowager Xiao Ruohan woke up for the third time, she simply got up and went to the courtyard.

Matron Liu helped her sit down on a bench, saying softly: “It’s very hot and stuffy today. I’ll send a message to our family tomorrow and ask the master to send more ice.”

Xiao Ruohan’s expression was unsightly.

The Xiao family could only use ice twice per day, but several barrels of ice had already been carried to Yangxin Palace and Yaotai Residence today, and the young emperor was even able to sleep soundly at night.

This was all the work of that Jiu-gongzi.

Xiao Yao, the head of the Xiao family and Xiao Ruohan’s younger brother, had sent a letter that evening telling her to find a way to get in touch with Chu Jiubian.

And if she could not, it would be good to find a way to get him out of the palace.

Right now, all of the major forces in the capital wanted to establish a relationship with Jiu-gongzi.

Xiao Ruohan’s eyes were filled with venom: “It seems I’ll really have to meet with this Jiu-gongzi tomorrow.”

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Chapter 13 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 15

The roar of engines filled the night sky as two heavyweight motorcycles sped along the mountain road, one in front and one behind.

Although Ling Yi hadn’t run this route in a few months, three years of competing had made him very familiar with the road conditions. He could tell when to slow down and when to turn just by muscle memory.

Lei Yue followed the other motorcycle closely, secretly apprehensive.

The long-haired rider’s driving style was shockingly familiar. The timing of acceleration and deceleration, and even the arc when he drifted around corners was exactly the same as he remembered.

In order to study Ling Yi’s driving habits, he had once installed a camera on his helmet and went back to study it frame by frame.

Presently, not only his driving habits, but even his profile from the back looked more and more familiar.

The idea of a ghost rider flashed through Lei Yue’s mind, and he shuddered, which almost caused his tires to slip.

There were always those midnight urban ghost stories, like the one where a driver who died in an accident on Banma Mountain turned into a ghost rider, and would take away his respected rivals in life.

Lei Yue had never believed in the supernatural, but there was a moment where he comforted himself that Ling Yi had not died in a race, and that even if his soul was still lingering, it should go to the Prime Minister rather than him.

In this single moment of distraction, he was left several meters behind the vehicle in front.

The two of them raced, equally skilled, with a difference of no more than a dozen centimeters. A sense of crisis arose in Lei Yue, and he had no idea whether the other party was a ghost or a human being. He pressed the accelerator all the way down, doing his utmost to close the gap.

Three drones followed the two of them to film from all angles, and the audience was able to watch the live broadcast on their phones.

When Lei Yue fell behind, the people from the Royal Academy were in all kinds of disbelief: “Is this fake? How can Lei-ge be so far behind? Could it be that Luban’s substitute is cheating?”

Upon seeing Lei Yue catch up, they cheered again: “I told you, Lei-ge might just be going easy on him because he’s a newcomer!”

“Pei!” Bo Rui said in disdain, “This is why I didn’t want to study at the Royal Academy. I can’t stand the attitudes of those nobles!”

Da Lun was more concerned about Ling Yi’s situation: “Ling Yi hasn’t touched a motorcycle in a long time. I hope he can get through the race safely and not get carried away.”

Bo Rui: “What are you worried for? Do you not believe in Ling Yi’s skills?”

“I’m worried about his health. We still don’t know why he’s staying at the medical college.”

He went to see Xi Lei, who gave him a two-word answer: “No comment.”

Another round of cheers came from the Royal Academy crowd. Lei Yue had not only caught up, but also passed him.

As an experienced driver, he was able to calmly overtake the other person despite being behind.

But this situation did not last long. The mysterious driver overtook again, giving everyone from the military academy the chance to gain back ground and cheer.

Like this, the two of them went back and forth, chasing each other, and cheers rose and fell in both camps.

“It’s almost time. Let’s go to the finish line and wait for them!”

Everyone took a shortcut to the foot of the mountain and waited at the finish line.

After waiting for around ten minutes, a roar came from the unseen distance. As the sound grew louder, two black forms appeared around the bend.

Bo Rui felt a sudden burst of energy: “Here they come!”

He repeated continuously, “Please, please, please, please.” Da Lun and Xi Lei also displayed varying degrees of nervousness, not daring to look away for even a second. 

The dark forms approached at lightning speed, nearing the end in the blink of an eye. Only then could everyone see clearly that the two motorcycles were racing side by side, almost evenly matched, sprinting toward the finish line at the same speed.

A gust of wind blew by, and the motorcycles roared away. No one could determine who had crossed the finish line first, so the outcome was in a state of suspension for a while.

The referee nervously reviewed the race video before announcing loudly: “The winner is – Luban Military Academy!”

Bo Rui held Da Lun in one arm and Xi Lei in the other, shouting and jumping up and down excitedly: “I told you he could do it!”

Da Lun breathed a sigh of relief: “I’m glad nothing happened.”

“Winning doesn’t mean you can touch me. Hands off.”

The mysterious long-haired rider returned victorious. Just as everyone started to rush forward, Lei Yue, who was trailing after him, jumped off his motorcycle and went straight to Ling Yi without even taking the time to prop up his vehicle.

Without a second thought, the three friends stood in front of Ling Yi.

“What are you doing? Are you a sore loser, ah?”

Lei Yue was very agitated, and tried to break through their blockade. He shouted to the person behind them: “Who are you? You’re Ling Yi, right?”

Bo Rui raised his chin: “Hey, you lost. Are you unwilling to admit that there’s someone at the military academy other than Ling Yi who you can’t beat?”

“It must be him! I wouldn’t mistake him for someone else!”

The long-haired driver stopped his vehicle and swung a leg gracefully over the back to get off, walking half a circle around the rear to face the front.

He raised his hands and cupped the sides of his helmet.

Lei Yue stared intently at him and stopped struggling, but the trio didn’t dare to let down their guard, and blocked him without giving an inch.

He slowly removed his helmet and shook his messy hair, which swaying dazzlingly silver under the moonlight.

Bo Rui gulped unconsciously.

Ling Yi sent Lei Yue a nonchalant look. The latter stood there in a daze, as if he had been cursed to turn to stone under the moonlight.

“Look carefully. Am I the old friend you think I am?”

The stone statue being questioned offered no answer at all.

The corners of Ling Yi’s mouth curled up sarcastically. Another completely blind straight man.

It was no surprise that even guys who hung out with him all the time, like Xi Lei and Bo Rui, were confused. So how could Lei Yue, someone who had only seen his face a few times, recognize him in the dim illumination of night?

Ling Yi: “Let’s go.”

“Don’t go anywhere!” Someone came out of the crowd of Royal Academy spectators and pointed a finger at Ling Yi. “He was able to beat Lei-ge because he took banned drugs before the race!”

Bo Rui retorted: “You Royal Academy people have no shame. You’re slandering him just because you can’t compete with us?”

“I saw it with my own eyes!” The man then pointed at Xi Lei. “He’s the one who gave him the drugs!”

Ling Yi was shocked, and Xi Lei was even visibly nervous.

They weren’t afraid of the students present, but that Oser’s people mixed in with them would go back and report to him.

Their nervousness seemed like guilt to the others, apparently confirming that they had something to hide.

“If you have nothing to hide, will you allow us to search you?”

Da Lun: “It’s illegal for a person without authority to conduct a body search.”

“Then there must be something fishy!”

“Be quiet!” Lei Yue finally came out of his petrified state. “There’s no need to come up with excuses. I’m just not as skilled as the opponent. A loss is a loss.”

“But I really did see it!”

Lei Yue handed his helmet to Ling Yi with both hands: “I accept the loss of our wager.”

The Royal Academy crowd erupted.

“Lei-ge! Are you really not going to ride motorcycles anymore?”

“The one who made the bet with you was Ling Yi, not this guy!”

“You’re the Royal Academy’s top rider. If you quit, who will face our challengers in the future?”

Ling Yi just wanted to leave quickly and avoid causing more trouble.

However, events went against his wishes. A police cruiser with its lights flashing drove over, and a policeman got out.

“Residents reported that someone was speeding here. Was it you?”

The person who had accused Ling Yi felt a surge of righteousness when he saw the policeman: “Officer, I need to make a report. Someone here is taking illegal drugs!”

Drug use was a much more serious offense than speeding, and the officer immediately became alert: “Who is it?”

Ling Yi was pointed at for the second time: “Him! If you don’t believe me, you can search him!”

The policeman walked toward Ling Yi, who unconsciously took a step back.

“You! Show me your ID.”

Ling Yi forced himself to remain calm: “I don’t have it.”

“You didn’t bring your ID card or driver’s license?”

Bo Rui cut in: “He’s a student at our Luban Military Academy!”

“A student ID will work too!”

“I left it at school.”

The policeman clipped his walkie-talkie to his chest and said: “I’ve met many people like you. Time for a body search.”

Xi Lei stood in front of him: “You can’t!”

“Who are you?”

The informant: “They’re in cahoots!”

The policeman: “One at a time. I’ll search him first, then you.”

When Ling Yi saw him take a step closer, he righteously refused: “You can’t search me.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m an Omega.”

Everyone gasped.

“According to the law, Alpha officers cannot conduct body searches on Omegas.”

Bo Rui stammered: “It-it’s no good to come up with such a lie. That’s easily disproven.”

The policeman looked him up and down doubtfully.

“You say you’re an Omega, but you won’t show me your ID. How can I believe you? Unless you can prove it.”

“Okay, ah.”

Ling Yi touched his ear and pulled off the ear cuff before Xi Lei could speak up to stop him.

The strong scent of Omega pheromones wafted into the air. Xi Lei covered his mouth and nose, unable to believe that he was intentionally stimulating the overflow of pheromones.

The Alphas present were drawn in by the unusually sweet scent, and couldn’t help but suck in deep breaths.

However, after taking several deep breaths, their expressions changed one after another. Those with strong mental strength wrinkled their faces, while those with weak mental strength rushed to the side of the road and leaned against trees, retching repeatedly.

The pheromone concentration continued to soar, and Xi Lei squeezed out two words between his teeth: “You’re……crazy!”

Bo Rui and Da Lun were greatly stimulated, and for a moment, they couldn’t tell if Oser’s pheromones or Ling Yi’s transformation into an Omega shocked them the most.

A heavyweight motorcycle drove up behind Ling Yi: “Get on!”

Ling Yi jumped onto the back of the seat and put on the helmet Lei Yue handed to him. Then the driver stepped on the accelerator and sped off with Ling Yi in tow.

The policeman stumbled after them for a few steps, then grabbed his walkie-talkie: “Intercept a black motorcycle in the vicinity of Banma Mountain, licence plate number…..”

Ling Yi sat behind Lei Yue as sirens blared behind them.

The motorcycle wove skillfully through traffic, leaving the sirens in the dust.

“Why did you take me away? Don’t you think I took illegal drugs too?”

“No.” Lei Yue’s calm voice drifted back to him along with the sound of the wind. “I don’t know who you are, but I can guess your reason for doing that.”

“What reason?”

“When you took off the suppression cuff, your classmates looked more surprised than anyone else. Even they didn’t know you were an Omega.”

Lei Yue made a sharp turn to shake off an oncoming police car.

“You concealed your secondary gender characteristics in order to attend the military academy, right? What you took before the race wasn’t a drug, but an inhibitor.”

Ling Yi: What can be done? There’s not a single flaw in his story.

“If you’re taking an inhibitor, that means you’ll soon be entering your heat…..if you continued to stay around all those Alphas, you would have been in danger.”

“Do you enjoy reading fictional novels?”

The motorcycle’s stable body shook slightly.

Lei Yue couldn’t help but think, how big is this Omega’s emotional resilience?

“You still have a mind to care about other people’s interests and hobbies at a time like this?”

“No, I’m just caring about you.” What the hell is going on in this guy’s head?

The motorcycle tilted even more violently, almost tipping over.

“Your driving wasn’t this bad before.”

“I’ve n-never given someone a ride before.”

“I’m your first?”

Sirens could no longer be heard anywhere in the vicinity, and Lei Yue temporarily slowed down as they entered a safe area.

“Do you want me to take you back to school?”

Lei Yue had made up his mind that if it was inconvenient for this person to go back to the school, he would provide him a place to stay.

Ling Yi casually pointed ahead: “This place is good.”

Lei Yue had just parked the motorcycle when identical cars drove in from all directions, completely encircling them.

The one parked closest to them stood out from the crowd.

Lei Yue glanced around nervously and found that escape would be impossible.

Ling Yi unhurriedly dismounted, remaining calm in the face of this situation.

“Although your guess was completely wrong, I’m still very grateful for your help in getting away from the traffic police. It would have been really troublesome if I’d been caught.”

He took a few steps, then turned around and tossed something to Lei Yue.

Lei Yue caught it instinctively – it was his own helmet.

“Oh, by the way, I’ll give this back to you.”

“But this is —”

“I’m not interested in your childish wager. Don’t you like motorcycles? If you like them, ride them more often, because you might be forced to give them up one day. Giving up something you can have is the most foolish thing to do.”

Lei Yue watched the figure with long, fluttering hair walk toward the nearby extended-cab vehicle, leaving the unforgettable scent of sweet pheromones lingering in the air.

Guard Captain Tang De got out of the passenger seat and personally opened the door. The Crown Prince of the empire stepped out of the vehicle with his ever-elegant demeanor.

Lei Yue shuddered as he finally realized who the Alpha pheromones on this Omega belonged to.

Ling Yi got into the car. Oser looked at Lei Yue for a moment with a half-smile on his face, then returned to the vehicle as well.

Lei Yue’s body tensed up again. He had read a strong threat in His Highness Oser’s eyes.

The vehicles blocking the area quickly withdrew.

The scenery outside the windows began to recede, and Oser moved closer to Ling Yi, pretending to take a deep sniff.

“Your scent is so strong. You seem to be quite charming, hm?”

“I was just using Your Highness’s pheromones to scare people. This is called taking advantage of your power to commit violence.”

He thought of Lei Yue, who had been left behind: “If we leave like this, will that person be tracked down by the police?”

Oser said meaningfully: “Those able to study at the Royal Academy have their own connections. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Ling Yi let out a deep, nasal scoff.

“What’s so funny?”

“It’s because of the connections of the privileged class that there are victims like me.”

“The world is inherently unfair.”

Oser lifted a strand of silver hair from his shoulder. Even though he knew it was fake, he couldn’t let it go.

“Long hair suits you very well. Keep it.”

Ling Yi turned his head to look out the window: “Teacher Tony cut it short himself, and now he wants it to grow long again. He’s truly fickle.”

---

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Chapter 29 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 31

“The High Priest,” Jiang Shuoye whispered softly.

Why did this seem to carry a sinister aura? If he really was a god, then he must be a “ghost god.”

Jiang Shuoye was usually either training or on his way to training, with little time to rest or let his thoughts wander. 

But now, in his dreams, his thoughts had free rein and were in a state of chaos.

From his high seat, Chu Jiubian knew that this man didn’t believe him or take him seriously.

He chuckled softly.

The entire space suddenly shook, and a thunderous sound jolted Jiang Shuoye from his thoughts.

Jiang Shuoye’s eyes turned fierce and he immediately stood up from his chair.

And the moment he stood, the ground beneath his feet collapsed.

Fortunately, his qigong and reaction speed were excellent, so he stepped onto the back of the chair and pushed off it to fly upward.

And raised his fist to attack Chu Jiubian’s silhouette.

Even if this was a dream, even if he was as small as an ant before this so-called god, there was absolutely no reason to let himself be subjugated.

A low laugh came from the mist, and Jiang Shuoye’s body froze, as if all of his strength had been drained away in an instant.

He was horrified, and a feeling of panicked powerlessness he had never felt before came over him.

He was unable to defeat this High Priest.

No, it should be said that he and the other party weren’t in the same league at all.

He was like a young child who wasn’t even able to crawl!

He was defenseless in front of this person. What a nightmare.

He had best wake up quickly.

Jiang Shuoye experienced the strong urge to wake up. But at the same time, he was so exhausted that he couldn’t even mobilize his internal strength, and his qigong lost its power.

Thus, he fell from a great height just like an ordinary person with no internal strength.

The rush of wind penetrated his ears, and the pure white space in front of him was once again wreathed in clouds and mist.

The last thing he saw was the towering silhouette of the High Priest, who seemed to be looking down at him.

Jiang Shuoye’s pupils immediately constricted.

And in the next moment, he opened his eyes and sat up in bed.

He gasped for breath, chest rising and falling rapidly. The despair of being on the verge of death and the fear of facing the unknown had his nerves going haywire.

However, as a battle-hardened soldier, Jiang Shuoye had the remarkable ability to self-regulate.

It only took two deep breaths for him to recover from that “nightmare.”

He subconsciously looked in the direction he had inspected before going to sleep, but there was still nobody there. He no longer felt any eyes on him.

His throat was dry, and rolled up and down as he swallowed. 

He got out of bed and walked to the table. Drinking half of the remaining water made him feel a little better.

But his brow was furrowed, and he didn’t look completely at ease.

The “dream” just now had been so real that he couldn’t distinguish it from reality. He’d even had the illusion that he would really die there.

Was it really a dream?

But if it wasn’t a dream, then what was it?

Jiang Shuoye was cautious by nature. He didn’t believe in the supernatural, but he wouldn’t rashly eliminate any possibilities.

It seemed he would need to investigate the people and goings-on around him. Perhaps someone had done something to him.

Inside the Divine Realm.

Chu Jiubian gazed at the empty table, lost in thought.

He had wanted to prove his abilities to Jiang Shuoye just now, not throw him to his death. But before he could use the white mist to catch that person, he had vanished.

The System informed him that he had left the Divine Realm due to waking up.

That meant that the Divine Realm was actually a higher form of dream, though it was more logical than dreams and had Chu Jiubian as its only master.

However, the Divine Realm still retained the characteristics of a “dream,” and events such as falling from a height or being near death may cause someone inside it to wake up prematurely.

[Don’t worry, Host. Once your Believers accept your identity as a “god,” they will no longer voluntarily leave the Divine Realm.]

Chu Jiubian nodded.

He understood this.

If Believers accepted that he was a god, they would become his absolute supporters and naturally obey most of his commands.

If he told them to leave, then they would leave, and if he didn’t give them permission, they wouldn’t leave at will. 

So in the end, he still needed to play the role of a god well enough that his Believers would obey him.

But Jiang Shuoye currently had no faith in him, and even felt that his recent experience was merely a dream.

This wasn’t going to work.

Of course, if Chu Jiubian pulled him into the Divine Realm several times in a row, perhaps he would believe that he had supernatural powers.

But rather than believing he was a god, taking into account Jiang Shuoye’s personality and mode of thinking, he would more than likely view him as a “monster.”

And as a god, just being feared by his Believers was not sufficient.

Chu Jiubian should also provide something accordingly for his Believers, so that they would both respect and love him.

It was the same principle. If he wanted to establish cooperation, he would have to find out what the other party needed.

After all, the relationship between Chu Jiubian and his Believers was actually based on cooperation.

He needed Believers to be his power in case of an emergency, and they wouldn’t obey him for no reason – they must receive some benefits.

The art of managing people involved the carrot-and-stick approach. It couldn’t be simpler.

And now that Chu Jiubian had given Jiang Shuoye the stick, it was time to give him the carrot.

“System, can you check on what Jiang Shuoye is doing?”

[Host, please purchase the permanent “Card Visibility” function. After a successful purchase, Host can view the current status of bound Believers through their card at any time.]

Chu Jiubian: “How many points is it?”

[Answering Host, only 20 Faith Points are required. Would you like to purchase it?]

This feature was very practical, and he would definitely use it many times in the future.

So Chu Jiubian didn’t hesitate, saying decisively: “Purchase it.”

After 20 Faith Points were deducted, the character card belonging to Jiang Shuoye appeared in front of Chu Jiubian once more.

When the card enlarged and expanded, the image was no longer of the monotonous tent, but a desert covered in yellow sand.

Jiang Shuoye stood there with his arms folded, his cool gaze fixed on the cavalry formation in front of him. 

The cavalry phalanx, with fifty men in each column, consisted of tall horses and armored soldiers, and at first glance looked quite organized.

The officer in the lead shouted a command, and the entire phalanx took off into the distance.

The formation barely held together at first, and fell into disorder within just a few steps.

The horses were disobedient, and the soldiers panicked. They clamped their legs tightly around the horses’ bellies, but some were still thrown off.

It was difficult to march with such troops, much less pick up a spear to kill the enemy.

Jiang Shuoye’s already sullen expression darkened considerably.

Chu Jiubian watched on with amusement.

If he were to ask what Jiang Shuoye desired most right now, wouldn’t it be a trained team of cavalrymen?

It was currently the season of lush grass and birds flying freely through the sky, and nomadic peoples like the Tatars were at their strongest. They would likely take this opportunity to harass the border and steal food and supplies for the winter. 

Only by becoming stronger and more courageous could the Mobei Army stationed at the border intimidate the enemy.

Chu Jiubian shifted his gaze from Jiang Shuoye to the scattered group of cavalrymen who had returned.

All iron was used to make weapons at this time in the Great Ning Dynasty, and no one had studied its other applications.

Therefore, things like horseshoes to protect horses’ hooves, and stirrups and saddles to improve combat effectiveness had not yet appeared.

If the war horses were equipped with these, the strength of the cavalry would be greatly improved.

“System,” Chu Jiubian asked, “If I draw some blueprints, can I send them to Jiang Shuoye?”

[They can be sent, but Host must give them to a Believer within the Divine Realm.]

“Then how do I bring blueprints into the Divine Realm?”

When he entered the Divine Realm just now, the only things he brought with him were the clothes on his back.

[Host, please spend 30 Faith Points to permanently enable the trading function within the Divine Realm. Once the function is activated, Host and Believers will be able to conduct two-way transactions. Host can directly bring items outside the System into the Divine Realm, and Believers may also bring objects with Host’s consent.]

Chu Jiubian: “…..”

He only had so few points in total. He needed more, more!

Points should be saved and spent only when necessary. This transaction feature must be enabled.

But 30 points was really expensive.

Chu Jiubian haggled with the System. The semi-intelligent AI seemed to not know how to react to this, and paused for some time before returning to normal: [Transaction concluded. 28 Faith Points deducted. Host’s Divine Realm trading function has been enabled.]

Chu Jiubian had originally bargained for 26 points.

But 28 was 28. He had at least saved two points.

After leaving the Divine Realm, the first thing he would do was draw out the blueprints. When Jiang Shuoye fell asleep that night, he would then take him to the Divine Realm and hand the blueprints to him.

Chu Jiubian gave it some thought and opened the System Mall again.

He found [Summary of Contemporary Military Training Methods] along with a hodgepodge of military strategies in the military section, and [Guide to Livestock Breeding] under another category.

Helping Jiang Shuoye was equivalent to improving his own armed forces, so when Chu Jiubian spent six points to buy these books…..

Okay, it was still a little painful.

But he had already bought them, and couldn’t return them.

He already had the integrated contents of the books in his mind.

He even felt like he could go directly to the battlefield and lead troops, or deliver newborn livestock such as horses, cows, sheep, pigs, and more.

But what was that saying? If you can’t lead a team, you can only work yourself to death.

All he needed to do was play the part of the “High Priest” well, and leave the rest to his Believers.

“System, I can also give these books to Jiang Shuoye, right?” Chu Jiubian asked again worriedly. If he couldn’t, he would have to have Jiang Shuoye complete his education in the Divine Realm before sending him out.

[Yes, Host. Tradeable items in the Divine Realm include those purchased in the System Mall. According to your needs, the text of books produced by the System can be changed into words and expressions in line with the current times, making it easier to understand.]

Chu Jiubian was thoroughly relieved. After choosing to change the text of the books, he closed the image on Jiang Shuoye’s card and then exited the Divine Realm.

Coincidentally, the moment he opened his eyes, he heard Xiao Xiangzi softly calling out to him from outside the bedroom that lunch was ready.

Chu Jiubian got up and walked out.

After eating, he asked Xiao Xiangzi to grind ink, then hid in his study to draw the blueprints and place them into the Space.

Everything was ready. He just needed to wait until nighttime to enter the Divine Realm again.

*

*

Splendid Plaza.

The most prosperous area in the capital was the Western Market, where there were many shops, including restaurants, theaters, rouge pavilions, food vendors……everything one could think of.

Most of those who came here to shop were the dignitaries and wealthy people of the capital. Ordinary people would at most come here to set up a stall, but they had no purchasing power.

Without exception, all of these shops along the street belonged to the capital’s influential officials.

A rouge shop may be owned by a noble lady or a theater run by a young master, but behind each of them was a colossus.

However, when it came to the two shops with the best locations, they were naturally the restaurant owned by the emperor and an establishment called the Hundred Treasure House. 

It went without saying that both the decorations and food at the restaurant were top notch.

On the other hand, the Hundred Treasure House sold various spoils of war from during the reign of Emperor Wuzong, and had a very high sales rate.

There had been no new items in the shop for a long time, but servants and maids would still go there from time to time and purchase things in order to support the Imperial business.

That evening, the sun set in the west.

As usual, servants of Minister of War Lu Youwei entered the shop and asked the shopkeeper what small items he had for sale.

Their family’s lord had ordered that they frequent this establishment twice per month, and make some purchases so that other officials could see how much respect their Lu family had for the Imperial family.

After all, as direct descendents of the Wuwei Lu family, every word and action from the elders represented the whole.

The manager of Hundred Treasure House was named Qin Su, and had been assigned to the shop by the late Empress Qin Feng five years prior.

Five years was enough time for him to recognize all of the store’s regular customers, as well as who would come on which day.

Today, the servants of the Minister of War would make an appearance.

“Liu-xiaoge, here is what you wanted.” Qin Su personally packed up everything for the servant. His slightly rotund figure and round cheeks made him appear particularly friendly when he smiled.

This servant very much liked the shopkeeper calling him Liu-xiaoge, as if he was truly a member of the Liu family. He raised his chin a little higher.

“Thanks.” He picked up his things. “I’ll be leaving now. See you later, Boss.”

“Xiaoge, wait.” Qin Su stopped him and said with a smile, “I have something new here, and you’re the first person I thought of. Do you want to see it?”

“Oh?” the servant asked, his interest piqued. “What is it?”

Qin Su’s eyes narrowed in a smile, and he kept him in suspense: “Xiaoge, did you notice anything different when you came into my shop today?”

“You know what, there is something different,” said the servant. “It’s scorching hot today, and my master’s room is humid even with two barrels of ice, but your shop is a little cool.”

As he spoke, he felt again that the room was indeed cool, a bit like the rainy day some time ago when his master put ice in the house.

“You guessed it, Xiaoge!” Qin Su glanced around furtively.

Business wasn’t good to begin with, and people were reluctant to go out in this heat, so the shop was even more deserted. Apart from the young man in front of him, there was nobody else in the shop aside from the shopkeeper and a few workers.

This secretive look made the servant even more curious: “What on earth is it? Boss, please don’t keep me in suspense.”

Qin Su walked out from behind the counter and extended a hand, saying: “Xiaoge, please come with me.”

Then he led him toward a corner of the shop. 

Rows of shelves obscured much of the view.

As the servant followed the shopkeeper around several rows of shelves, he didn’t know if it was his illusion, but the room seemed to become cooler the farther he went inside.

Qin Su finally came to a stop and said: “Please have a look.”

The servant looked in the direction of his pointing finger.

He saw a medium-sized water barrel placed in the corner, filled with something crystal-clear. There was a slight chill in the air.

The servant stood there in a daze, barely able to maintain his grip on his purchases.

This….this was…..ice?

It was actually ice!

The news that the “Hundred Treasure House” sold ice soon spread. And the price was neither high nor low, not so high that people would not find it cost-effective, nor so low that it wasn’t profitable.

Minister of War Lu Youwei, hands behind his back, circled twice around the large tub of ice in the middle of his study. He couldn’t help but stroke his half-length beard and lament: “That Qin Xiao…..he really did find a way out of this situation.”

Strategist Lu Quan held a string of lustrous beads in his hand, his slanted eyes gleaming: “The news just arrived from the palace this morning. Ning-wang came up with a countermeasure this afternoon.”

He went to the basin and reached out to touch the clear ice, saying in a weighty voice: “That Jiu-gongzi is truly exceptional.”

After all of the forces decided to maneuver behind the scenes, they simply had their spies go and investigate the news about the Hundred Treasure House and Qin Xiao in an open and aboveboard manner, so the news that all of the saltpeter in the Imperial Hospital had been sent to the Hundred Treasure House could not be concealed at all.

That morning, no one had known what the saltpeter would be used for. They were only aware that after the court session, both Qin Xiao and Bai Lihong had gone to Yaotai Residence.

They stayed there for over and hour, and when they left, they were accompanied by two of Yaotai Residence’s palace servants.

Subsequently, Qin Xiao sent people to buy saltpeter from all of the pharmacies in the capital and bring it to the palace, and the government then posted a notice that private individuals were no longer allowed to buy and sell saltpeter.

Only Bai Lihong’s newly-appointed ninth-rank official dubbed the “Saltpeter Officer” could open saltpeter purchasing offices in the capital and elsewhere.

When the common people collected saltpeter, they were able to bring it to the saltpeter office and sell it at a slightly higher price than before.

As soon as the news came out, those in the capital and even in the surrounding prefectures began to collect saltpeter, thinking that it would at least bring in enough to supplement their family’s income.

Lu Youwei’s people reported that the newly-appointed Saltpeter Officer had set up a purchasing office in the capital just this afternoon, and many people had already sold the saltpeter they had gathered in exchange for copper coins.

Many in the surrounding prefectures had already heard the news due to the people who were specially sent to disseminate the message to more distant places. It wouldn’t be long before the whole of the Great Ning Dynasty knew that “saltpeter could be sold to the government for money.”

Everyone had already witnessed Qin Xiao’s swift and decisive actions on the day of the palace coup.

Therefore, they became even more curious about what use for saltpeter had made Qin Xiao so assertive.

The spies in the palace attempted to find answers, but were unable to get close to Yangxin Palace.

From then until the evening, the news of the Hundred Treasure House selling ice spread, and everyone finally understood what was going on.

This saltpeter was likely being used to make ice.

Before this, nobody had known that something like ice could be created artificially. It was simply inconceivable.

But now that this ice was clearly placed before their eyes, they had no choice but to believe it.

In any case, Lu Youwei and Lu Quan believed it. The vat of ice in front of them had been brought back from the Hundred Treasure House by a servant.

There had been three full vats of ice in the Hundred Treasure House, but only one was sold to the Lu family. The other two remained in the store, waiting for others to see them when they heard the news and rushed over.

Those who wanted ice could order it from the Hundred Treasure House.

And this applied to every household.

The Hundred Treasure House would deliver the ice at dawn the next day. According to the news, they had earned several hundred taels of silver just by selling ice this one night.

“I fear this saltpeter has more uses than just making ice,” Lu Quan said.

If it was solely used to make ice, Qin Xiao wouldn’t have purchased it on such a grand scale.

He had made large-scale acquisitions and even created a designated official position for this purpose. It was obvious that he was planning to have a long-term source of income, but ice wasn’t exactly in demand after the dog days of summer.

“What else can saltpeter be used for?” His brow furrowed.

Lu Youwei: “No matter what it can be used for, it must be the work of that Jiu-gongzi.”

“He definitely has more abilities than just this,” Lu Quan said worriedly. “And the mysterious force behind him should not be underestimated.”

If Qin Xiao were to use the other party, the consequences would be disastrous.

Lu Youwei’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked in the direction of the palace: “If such a person cannot be used by my Lu family…..”

Lu Quan frowned in thought, then said: “My Lord, Jiu-gongzi is currently trapped within the palace and can only have dealings with Ning-wang. If we can find a way to make Ning-wang bring him out of the palace, we will have a chance to approach him.”

“What do you mean?”

“Didn’t our people report that Jiu-gongzi left Yaotai Residence this afternoon?”

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao had a deal, so in the afternoon, Chu Jiubian walked around to familiarize himself with the eastern palace, but didn’t enter the harem.

Many people caught sight of him during this trip, and now all of the forces in the capital knew that he had “regained his freedom.”

“Isn’t the Qiu family holding an auction in three days?”

Lu Quan said with a smile: “If we can have someone inform Jiu-gongzi, he might be interested.”

“Regardless of whether or not he’s interested, he can’t come out unless Qin Xiao allows him to.”

And who wasn’t aware that Chu Jiubian was under house arrest in the palace?

Lu Quan was unconcerned: “He was able to get Ning-wang to release him from prison and give him some freedom within the palace. This man is definitely not a simple person.”

Therefore, as long as he desired it, he was absolutely capable of getting Qin Xiao to let him out of the palace.

Chu Jiubian had no idea that he was being targeted by various groups of people. As soon as night fell, he eagerly washed up and went to bed, then entered the Divine Realm with the horseshoe, saddle, and stirrup blueprints 

He waited until midnight, when Jiang Shuoye finally fell asleep.

And then he immediately dragged him into the Divine Realm.

---

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Chapter 12 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 14

Qin Xiao?

That was undoubtedly Qin Xiao.

Chu Jiubian read it again and found that it was indeed the person he knew. This was really strange.

According to the System’s explanation of the Divine Realm’s functions, Qin Xiao would not affect the completion of the System’s tasks, nor could he be a heinous criminal, otherwise the System wouldn’t have included him in its selection range.

But the System marked him as “not recommended.” Why was that?

Was it because Qin Xiao was the villain?

Chu Jiubian still hadn’t figured out the System’s purpose and origins, so he was unable to guess the motives behind its behavior.

But even without the System’s warning, he would never choose Qin Xiao as a Believer.

Because he was 100% certain that no matter how well he disguised himself, Qin Xiao would be able to guess his identity in an instant.

After all, Chu Jiubian was the only one who had been behaving strangely around the other party recently, so it wouldn’t be difficult for him to guess. 

Thus, it was very likely that as soon as he dragged Qin Xiao in, the man would kill him right after.

The losses outweighed the gains.

“System,” Chu Jiubian asked, “If I don’t choose a certain person this time, will I have the opportunity to choose them in the future?”

[Yes, Host. Keywords in the card library can be drawn repeatedly.]

[For example, you chose the “Armed Forces” card this time, and you will have a chance to draw this card again in the future. The “Reserved Believer” identity cards associated with this keyword will also appear when the keyword card is drawn.]

So he would have the opportunity to draw these people again in the future.

He tried to suppress his excitement.

Chu Jiubian stared at Qin Xiao’s card. Only when he possessed the strength to have an equal dialogue with Qin Xiao would he bring him into the Divine Realm and show him his ability as the “one true god.”

He would make this Lord Ning-wang willingly submit to him.

But that was for another time.

Right now, Chu Jiubian still needed to recruit an armed force to serve him, as well as a commander who was absolutely loyal to him.

He no longer hesitated, tapping the third card with his fingertip.

The other three cards immediately dissipated into white mist, and this card alone floated in front of Chu Jiubian and enlarged to the size of a computer screen.

The words on the card spread out like an ink painting, gradually dispersing, and were replaced by a brand new image.

This image was a simple tent that looked about the size of Chu Jiubian’s current bedroom.

However, the decorations and furnishings in this tent were extremely crude in comparison. It could be said to be “penniless and destitute,” with only a bed and a dining table set, as well as a wooden rack with silver-white armor hanging on it.

This was obviously the tent of Jiang Shuoye, Commander of the Mobei Army.

The tent door was pushed open from outside, and Chu Jiubian looked intently.

Sunlight shone through the door and cast a shadow over the new arrival, making it impossible for Chu Jiubian to glimpse his face. He could only see that he was tall, with a straight back and shoulders broader than those of the average person.

The figure walked through the door and closed it behind him. Then he went straight to the table, picked up the teapot, and poured most of the liquid inside straight into his mouth from the spout.

When he put down the teapot, Chu Jiubian got a clear look at his face and was briefly surprised. He hadn’t expected him to be so handsome.

However, his facial features were not as fair as Qin Xiao’s, but rather a rough and rugged sort of handsome. If Qin Xiao was a wolf adept at disguising himself and lying in wait, then this man was a placid lion.

There was a deep, sharp scar the length of a thumb cutting through the left side of his forehead, and the bisected eyebrow lent him a dangerous aura.

One could tell at first glance that he was a skilled fighter, as well as the sort of commander who was brave, resourceful, steady, and cautious.

The more Chu Jiubian studied him, the more satisfied he became.

The young commander in the image wiped the liquid from the corners of his lips and paced toward the bed. It seemed he intended to take a nap.

However, after taking just two steps, he paused and looked elsewhere in the tent.

There was nothing there, but he kept feeling like there was someone watching him.

Chu Jiubian met Jiang Shuoye’s gaze through the image on the card. He raised an eyebrow slightly.

It was undeniable that the surge of killing intent from the other party made Chu Jiubian’s scalp tingle.

But that was all.

When he realized this, Chu Jiubian’s heart sank.

This was the great commander who fought on the battlefield and had killed countless people, but he found that the sense of peril this man brought to him was far less than that of Qin Xiao.

This was certainly not because Jiang Shuoye was weak, but because Qin Xiao was an even more terrifying person.

This isn’t a good thing, thought Chu Jiubian.

Jiang Shuoye looked around the tent carefully, and after making sure that there was really nobody there, he walked hesitantly to the bed and sat down.

This person was too alert. If he wanted to pull him into the Divine Realm, he must do it when the other party was asleep or in a state of empty-mindedness.

In order to avoid wasting time, Chu Jiubian told the System to turn off the screen.

If the cautious Jiang Shuoye continued to sense these prying eyes, he probably wouldn’t be able to sleep.

So Chu Jiubian would just wait for the System to summon him in.

Inside the tent, Jiang Shuoye no longer felt that he was being watched, so he took off his shoes and lay down in bed. He didn’t even change out of his dirty clothes after training for half a day, and just closed his eyes to sleep.

Perhaps because the Tatars had been active at the border recently and his newly-trained cavalry was so disappointing, he was in a state of tense paranoia. 

He rubbed his stiff brow and exhaled slowly.

After a while, he seemed to fall asleep in a daze.

But in the next moment, he felt as if he was pinned under the gaze of some huge monster. Instinctive fear washed over him, and he abruptly opened his eyes.

White mist dominated his field of vision, dotted with drifting golden lights.

Before he could react to the new location, a strong sense of weightlessness came over him and he plummeted downward.

He immediately used his internal strength to adjust his posture at the moment of impact, landing with one knee bent to disperse the force of the fall.

He stood up at once, muscles tense and hands clenched into fists, and stared ahead with sharp eyes.

White mist still surged in front of him, and he knew that that terrifying pressure came from within it.

What was going on?

Where was he?

What lay ahead?

Jiang Shuoye’s breathing was long and steady. Although his mind was abound with suspicion, there were no signs of panic on his face.

Suddenly, he heard a long, ethereal cry. He raised his eyes at once to see some kind of bird flap its wings in the clouds above his head, then vanish in an instant.

Jiang Shuoye’s heart skipped a beat.

He vigilantly scanned the unending mist around him, cautiously treading forward step by step.

The mist seemed to go on forever, but after a few steps, he smelled the refreshing fragrance of plum blossoms and the mist receded substantially.

Whereas he was previously only able to see the ground beneath his feet, he could now see two steps away.

After walking like this for more than ten steps, the mist before him dissipated almost completely, and was replaced by a pure white space more than ten times the size of the military training grounds.

This square space extended into the white mist in all directions. Two thick, straight coiled dragon pillars stood to either side, extending upward with no end in sight.

In the middle of the space was a white jade table about six meters long.

There was only one chair at this table, its back facing away from him.

This was a dream.

Jiang Shuoye understood that only a dream could be this absurd and inexplicable, although this dream felt particularly real.

His tense form relaxed somewhat, but he was still instinctively alert to possible movement around him, and naturally did not ignore the terrifying pressure in front of him.

But because he knew this was a dream, he finally lost his initial wariness and was in a state to analyze the scene before him.

He supposed the table and chair had been prepared for him. Was he dreaming of having a feast?

Jiang Shuoye was not a person who cared much about what he ate, and really didn’t expect to dream about such a strange table.

How puzzling.

He went to the table and curiously touched the back of the chair.

It was smooth to the touch, made of higher quality jade than he had ever seen.

He took another careful look and found marks on the table and chair that appeared to be ancient characters or some kind of totems, but there was no trace of them being artificially carved – they appeared to have grown like this naturally.

Such magic was worthy of a dream.

Jiang Shuoye took a seat on the chair, placed his arms on the armrests, and looked straight ahead.

A dozen feet ahead, red plum blossoms faintly dotted a screen of mist that was much like a gauze curtain. A breeze carried their sweet fragrance to him.

What lay ahead?

He frowned slightly, and decided to take a closer look.

But just as he was about to get up, a strong gust of wind blew past.

He subconsciously raised an arm to block it, and when he looked up again, he found that the white mist in front of him seemed to have thinned.

And it grew thinner the higher it went.

Jiang Shuoye slowly raised his head toward the mist curtain, and his heart instantly skipped a beat.

Within the hazy white mist were huge, leisurely floating golden silhouettes, much like…..dragons.

And beneath those silhouettes was the faint appearance of a huge figure, like the most magnificent statue in the temple.

But unlike a solemn and dignified Buddha statue, the one before him was not in a meditative pose. Instead, it sat on a chair with its legs crossed, its posture languid as it leaned its face on one hand.

The figure seemed to sense Jiang Shuoye’s gaze, and slowly sat up straight.

And as the other party moved, crisp sounds like that of jewelry clacking together filled the air.

It seemed that this was the source of the sense of oppression.

Even though he knew it was a dream, Jiang Shuoye still instinctively tensed up. But rather than immediately standing up to go on the defensive, he instead asked: “Who is responsible for this?”

After a moment of silence, the statue seemed to chuckle.

Then came the cool, somewhat indolent voice of a young man. There was a smile in his voice as he said: “Welcome to my Divine Realm.”

Jiang Shuoye regarded the figure with a frown.

What was a Divine Realm?

“Who are you?” he asked.

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes toward the man in front of the long table. His gaze was not directed toward Chu Jiubian, but at the towering projection he had created above his head.

Were Jiang Shuoye to see the entire picture at this moment, he would find that Chu Jiubian was shorter than him – but the giant projection looked much more like a god.

Chu Jiubian tapped the armrest with his fingertips and said: “I am a god.”

All these years of acting had not been in vain. It was a piece of cake to alter his voice slightly.

His excellent delivery skills made these lines, which even he felt were immature and embarrassing, seem convincing rather than awkward.

As Jiang Shuoye stared up at him, his tense body completely relaxed.

This dream was getting increasingly ridiculous. He should be able to wake up soon.

In this relaxed state, he was no longer as aloof and reticent as he was in the military camp, and instead became more talkative. He asked: “Then which god are you?”

He himself did not believe in gods, but he had heard of some of them and wondered which one this dream person might be.

Chu Jiubian had already considered this question.

He couldn’t just impersonate a legendary deity, so he could only invent a new one.

He would rely on his believers to gather information and build up his power base, and associate himself with the identity of “Chu Jiubian,” which he must designate as a higher authority than his own in the Divine Realm. This way, when his followers found out that everything he did in the Divine Realm was for the purpose of helping “Chu Jiubian,” they would experience a sudden sense of enlightenment.

In other words, he must slowly reveal the fact that he, in the Divine Realm, actually obeyed, believed in, and even fanatically loved “Chu Jiubian.” This would solidify his believers’ devotion to him. 

The “one true god” could only be “Chu Jiubian.”

In this way, even if the System no longer existed, he could still use his identity as Chu Jiubian to inherit these believers from the Divine Realm and continue to have their obedience. After all, he was a higher authority than this “god” in the Divine Realm.

So after much thought, he came up with an identity that was particularly suitable.

Chu Jiubian’s voice was cool and leisurely, echoing throughout the vast space.

“You can call me —”

“The High Priest.”

---

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Chapter 11 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 13

Chapter 49 – Burning Sky

His field of vision was wreathed in scorching golden red. The high-temperature flames had yet to touch his skin, but his hair smoldered slightly under the incoming flames, and he could detect a faint burning smell.

Time passed both quickly and slowly.

It only took a breath of time for the released arrow to reach the fleeing Fang Yang.

And as the golden arrow closed the last meter of distance between them, time seemed to slow before Fang Yang’s eyes.

He had always heard that people saw a revolving lantern of events before death. And when he found himself in such a life-or-death situation, Fang Yang realized it was true.

During this short moment, he had many thoughts. Survival instinct stimulated his body’s potential to the extreme, and his mind became unusually clear. His heart beat like a drum in his ears, and he thought many times faster than usual.

He quickly thought up several methods of escape, but they were all dead ends.

With his own abilities alone, he was completely unable to withstand this golden arrow of unknown origins.

I’m dead, Fang Yang thought.

Clutching Cao Zirui’s hand in his left palm, he didn’t forget this fellow disciple whom he had spoken with for the first time today.

And his right hand unconsciously moved to his chest, gripping the piece of bamboo around his neck.

He didn’t even have a magic weapon, let alone something that could resist this indestructible fire. This single piece of bamboo was his last hope.

In his mind, he called out to the man whose name he still didn’t know. Emotions could not be hidden in one’s spiritual consciousness, unlike in normal conversations where one could maintain a veneer of calm.

The sea of consciousness was the concrete product of a person’s inner world, and the voice therein would reflect the owner’s truest feelings.

His dying cry contained no meaningful words – it was just a prolonged, wavering scream of terror.

This scream was like a heavy hammer slamming into Feng Ye’s mind, which was connected to Fang Yang through his sea of consciousness.

In an instant, thousands of thoughts rushed through his mind like a mighty river.

He was three hundred meters away from land, but the distance between him and Fang Yang was much more than that. Because Fang Yang was not directly above him, but on the western side of the floating island, and the straight-line distance between them was four or five li away.

With such a long distance between them, it would be impossible for him to reach Fang Yang before the golden arrow was shot, even without the obstruction of the monsters around him.

But even if he couldn’t make it in time, Feng Ye was not completely helpless.

It was only that…..he would inevitably have to reveal his true strength.

He had kept his identity hidden up to this point in order to investigate Jianmu as thoroughly as possible without alerting the enemy.

He had no idea who was working behind the scenes, and similarly, the other party was unaware that he had discovered them. It was a delicate balance.

Once that balance was broken and he was the first to be exposed, the subsequent situation would only become increasingly unfavorable for him.

And it would be all for the sake of a human he had only known for a month. Was it worth it?

Before he could come to a decision, the problem solved itself.

On land, the high-speed rotating arrow cut through the air, a tail of flames burning along its trajectory.

Unstoppable, the tip of the arrow drew closer and closer.

The heat burned his skin, and Fang Yang couldn’t help but close his eyes. He finally realized that all of his struggles had been in vain. He even gave up running, and just waited for the flames to consume him.

He had given up, but Cao Zirui had not. He stopped alongside Fang Yang, but not to wait for death.

He turned around and watched the golden arrow intently.

At the same time, he raised his right hand that he had just taken out of the storage bag and suddenly opened his clenched fist, revealing a palm full of spiritual power that was about to activate a magic weapon.

This magic weapon was a blue bead. Just as the golden arrow was about to reach the two of them, vast spiritual power suddenly surged from the bead.

The spiritual power gathered into a spherical shape much like a giant bubble, wrapping Fang Yang and Cao Zirui inside it.

This bubble looked as if it would burst if prodded, but miraculously, it was able to block the golden arrow.

The expected burning agony did not come. Fang Yang opened his eyes with some confusion to see Cao Zirui holding a blue bead to block the golden arrow.

The golden arrow was still spinning rapidly, and flames flowed along its shaft to the bubble, exploding the moment they made contact. The stream of fire erupted into a three-meter-high wall of flames, and the bubble within it was on the verge of collapse.

But it didn’t collapse in the end. The two were at a stalemate for several breaths, the surface of the bubble so full of cracks that it wouldn’t be able to withstand another attack.

But the speed of the golden arrow’s rotation was getting slower and slower, and the unbridled flames were extinguished.

With a clang, the golden arrow fell to the ground.

The bubble burst at the same time, and the dark blue bead in Cao Zirui’s hand also shattered into countless tiny pieces.

Cao Zirui tossed the broken magic weapon away without any regret, and yanked at Fang Yang, who was staring at him in amazement: “Let’s go!”

Fang Yang finally snapped back to his senses and immediately took advantage of Lu Chengye’s delayed reaction to his failed attack, fleeing with Cao Zirui.

As they ran, he couldn’t help but ask: “How did you still have a magic weapon?”

Cao Zirui tilted his head in confusion: “When did I say I didn’t have a magic weapon?”

Fang Yang: “…..”

It seemed he had never said that.

But Fang Yang had thought he didn’t have one.

Otherwise, why could Cao Zirui be in such a miserable state? If he had this kind of self-defense weapon, why hadn’t he taken it out earlier? If Fang Yang hadn’t rushed to help Cao Zirui when Lu Chengye fired the previous arrow, he would have long been dead.

At the critical moment between life and death, there was no point in keeping anything in reserve, right?

Therefore, in Fang Yang’s mind, Cao Zirui didn’t have anything that could protect him.

Cao Zirui took in Fang Yang’s puzzled expression, and could somewhat guess the reason. He explained: “I’ve been poisoned, and my spiritual power is draining away. That Water Soul Bead takes a lot of spiritual power to activate, and I didn’t have enough power to activate it before.”

So that’s how it is, Fang Yang and Feng Ye far away under the deep sea suddenly realized.

Although the time Fang Yang managed to delay didn’t allow Feng Ye to reach land, it had allowed Cao Zirui to recover some of his spiritual power and successfully activate the Water Soul Bead, thus shielding them from doom.

But it was only able to block an attack one time. The two of them ran with no reservations, speeding across nearly a hundred meters in just a few seconds.

Lu Chengye, who had been certain of his success, stood in place as he realized – I failed again!

Damn it!

How many magic weapons did Cao Zirui have?!

He couldn’t help but grit his teeth in jealousy at the thought. As a brand new, penniless disciple, he’d had to rely on himself for everything, but Cao Zirui possessed countless spirit stones and magical instruments bestowed upon him by his master. There was no telling how many times wealthier he was than Lu Chengye.

He was originally only following Xue Ren’s orders to kill Cao Zirui, but after such a comparison, he was so jealous that he wanted to kill Cao Zirui at once and snatch all of his magic weapons.

He raised his hand slightly, and the golden arrow on the ground flew up again at his command, returning squarely to his palm.

Lu Chengye reached up to brush dust off the arrow with some distress. This arrow was indeed just as Feng Ye had thought, an ordinary earth-grade magic weapon.

Even though Lu Chengye had been kicked off the ring by Feng Ye in an extremely undignified manner after winning the championship, he still had the right to receive an earth-grade magic weapon.

This golden arrow was the weapon he had received from the Armory Pavilion. In fact, he had not originally planned to choose the golden arrow. As a sword cultivator, he had chosen a spiritual sword that was the highest quality in offense and defense. 

However, Xue Ren suddenly found him and revealed the fact that Lu Chengye had poisoned Fang Yang.

Lu Chengye was shocked, and denied it repeatedly.

But Xue Ren was resolute, pressing on to tell him step by step where exactly he had been before and after the poisoning.

The evidence was irrefutable. Lu Chengye was unable to deny it. Lingxiao Sword Sect had always strictly prohibited conflict between fellow disciples, let alone such a despicable act as poisoning. 

He would definitely be expelled from the sect once this matter was exposed, which was a result he absolutely didn’t want to experience.

Lu Chengye reacted very quickly and knelt down before Xue Ren, tearfully explaining that he had been momentarily blinded by greed, and had no intention of hurting his fellow disciple.

But Xue Ren had sneered: “You still want to quibble now? Don’t you know it’s a crime to poison a fellow disciple? Do you think this is an issue punishable by expulsion from the sect? According to the sect’s rules, you must also abandon your cultivation and cut off your path to immortality!”

From a cultivator who could call the wind and rain to a mortal who could only toil in the fields? Lu Chengye’s face paled in fright at this horrible thought.

With trembling lips, he offered bribes to Xue Ren, saying that he was willing to give up all of his property if Xue Ren would let him off.

However, as soon as he said this, he recalled that he possessed so few spirit stones that Xue Ren probably wouldn’t even spare them a glance. The most valuable thing he had was the earth-grade magic weapon he had yet to select, and he immediately promised it to Xue Ren as well.

Xue Ren shook his head, unmoved.

It’s over, Lu Chengye thought despairingly.

Unexpectedly, Xue Ren changed tacks: “I can help you keep this secret. I don’t want anything from you, not spirit stones or an earth-grade magic weapon.”

He looked down at Lu Chengye kneeling before him and gave a faint smile, telling him enticingly: “Instead, I’ll give you a magic weapon. All I need is for you to do me an insignificant little favor.”

Lu Chengye raised his head blankly to meet Xue Ren’s eyes, which contained no smile at all – only a cold, restrained killing intent.

His heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly realized that this was Xue Ren’s true purpose. Xue Ren had exposed the poisoning not for the sake of justice, but to use it as leverage to make Lu Chengye obey his orders. And this so-called insignificant little favor was bound to be not very little at all.

But what did it matter that he realized this? He had no choice.

This was why Xue Ren had approached him. He had no other choice but to agree.

Although he had mentally prepared himself, Lu Chengye was still inevitably shocked when he heard what Xue Ren intended to do: “You want me to kill your shidi, Cao Zirui?”

Xue Ren glared at him in dissatisfaction, saying threateningly: “What? You’re unwilling?”

Lu Chengye cringed under Xue Ren’s glare and explained: “N-not unwilling, but Cao Zirui is at Foundation Establishment. And you saw how he took first in the Foundation Establishment competition. His strength is unfathomable! How can a Qi Refining disciple like me kill him?”

“Heh heh.” Xue Ren chuckled and said with a hint of ridicule: “Haven’t you figured out the solution?”

“What solution?” Lu Chengye was mystified by Xue Ren’s words.

Xue Ren suddenly took a light yellow flower out of his sleeve. 

A Blazing Sun Flower.

Lu Chengye looked from the flower to Xue Ren’s affirmative gaze and came to an understanding.

He intended to use the same old trick and poison Cao Zirui just like Lu Chengye had poisoned Fang Yang.

However…..although this plan sounded feasible, it actually wasn’t.

Cao Zirui was different from Fang Yang. That fool Fang Yang had many flaws and was totally defenseless. It had been very easy to find an opportunity to poison him. But Cao Zirui was the sect leader’s personal disciple, and had lived on the peak of the mountain for a long time. Lu Chengye had never met him, so how would he be able to poison him?

Xue Ren reminded him impatiently: “The Floating Island Secret Realm.”

Given his master’s partiality, if Cao Zirui suffered a disaster, it would be investigated in impeccable detail.

Even if Xue Ren was careful and didn’t carry it out personally, there was no guarantee that there wouldn’t be any holes in the plan.

Therefore, in order to be absolutely certain, it would be better if Cao Zirui’s master never got the chance to see his body.

The Floating Island Secret Realm was the best location to take action.

And this secret realm had always been rife with danger, so Cao Zirui’s death there could only be considered an accident. If the sect leader was unresigned, he would still have to wait another ten years after the Floating Island Secret Realm closed.

Ten years later, both the evidence and the remains would be long gone.

Dead men told no tales.

Thus, any action must be reserved for the Floating Island Secret Realm.

Xue Ren observed Lu Chengye’s expression. Seeing that he’d gotten the gist of it, he continued: “The starting location in the Floating Island Secret Realm is completely random, but I’m giving you a bell. You can find his location using the bell, make up an excuse to follow him, and find an opportunity to poison him.”

The effects of the Blazing Sun Flower manifested very quickly. Within an hour of consuming it, spiritual energy would begin depleting. Therefore, the poison could not be administered too early, or Cao Zirui would be in trouble before even entering the secret realm, and his master would definitely find out.

Xue Ren had already planned out the entire process of this murder. He had considered it for a long time, and only went to seek out Lu Chengye when he was certain that there were no weak points.

At this point, he pontificated on the plan he had long been brewing: “After poisoning him, wait patiently for the right time to act. When his cultivation begins to decline, that is when you will take action.”

Having said that, Xue Ren took a simple-looking wooden bow from his storage bag.

He gently stroked the bright red totem on the bow with his fingers, his voice full of affection: “I just obtained this bow not long ago. Do you know what it is?”

Lu Chengye shook his head.

Xue Ren sneered, explaining to him with a hint of contempt: “A hundred years ago, Yinglong cut down Jianmu in the Eastern Sea. The giant tree collapsed, and heavenly fire fell from the sky, spreading across three thousand li. It lasted for three days.”

“Before the heavenly fire was completely extinguished, someone used it as a catalyst and combined it with thousand-year-old locust wood, as well as several cold, yin-based things such as the Snowy Mountain Ice Soul. This was able to suppress the destructive heavenly fire, sealing it inside the wood to form this indomitable bow.”

Xue Ren whispered its name: “This is a heaven-grade magic weapon – Burning Sky.”

Lu Chengye was stunned when he heard this, and also couldn’t help but reach out greedily, wanting to touch this incredibly rare heaven-grade weapon that could only be heard of in legends. 

Xue Ren glared at him in disgust, and the contempt in his eyes obviously said: Are you worthy enough to touch this divine bow?

Lu Chengye awkwardly withdrew his hand.

Unexpectedly, after such a display of contempt, Xue Ren actually handed the Burning Sky Bow over to him: “Your cultivation level isn’t sufficient to use this divine bow, but our sect’s Armory Pavilion happens to have an earth-grade magic weapon that does not require spiritual power – the Sun-Chasing Arrow. Use your championship reward to obtain this earth-grade magic weapon. This way, although you’re unable to unleash the full power of the divine bow, it will be enough to deal with him. When the time is right, you will…..”

Xue Ren leaned down slightly toward where Xue Ren was kneeling on the floor, whispering in his ear: “…..kill him!”

He ground these words between his teeth as he spoke them, revealing a festering hatred, as if he wanted to eat the victim alive.

---

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Chapter 48 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 50

“Pair of tens.”

“Check.”

“Pair of aces.”

“Check again.”

In the basement lounge of the Royal Medical College, the rare sound of cards being played was heard.

In the end, they were young people and greatly adaptable. The day before, they had cried with joy when something lost was returned to them, and today they were all playing cards around a table.

After removing his makeup, Ling Yi was still the familiar Ling Yi they knew. But across from him, Bo Rui was distracted as he kept seeing a different face.

He cleared his throat and thought of ways to sound him out: “Ling Yi, can I ask…..”

“No,” Xi Lei said, dealing three sixes. “Play your cards and don’t ask questions you shouldn’t.”

Bo Rui immediately snapped back: “Who asked you? If we weren’t short one player, who would want to play poker with such a poker-faced guy? Three jacks! Ling Yi, what is your relationship with His Highness Oser?”

Ling Yi had his eyes lowered to look at the cards in his hand, and didn’t even bother to raise his eyelids: “What do you think?”

The answer couldn’t be clearer from the kissing and the hand-holding, but Bo Rui just wanted to deceive himself.

“You killed his uncle, and he admires you? Or…..he gives you benefits, and you play a role-playing game with him? You still haven’t told us how you managed to survive an exploding prison van.”

Da Lun put down three kings and said: “Didn’t you finish writing those ten pages yesterday?”

Ling Yi looked at the three queens in his hand with hatred: “Can’t afford it.”

Bo Rui muttered softly: “I don’t have any weird ideas. I know Ling Yi is an Alpha. If he was an Omega, I would have weird ideas.”

Xi Lei gave him an unreadable look.

Ling Yi raised his eyebrows: “You interested?”

Bo Rui’s neck stiffened and he said: “You’re not, and why would I be interested? I’m straight!”

Da Lun deliberately changed the subject: “Ling Yi, are you coming back to school?”

Xi Lei: “If he wants to go back to school, the news that he’s still alive will have to be made public. Otherwise, if he comes back to life, all of the teachers and students will be scared to death.”

Bo Rui argued: “He came back to life in front of me. Why wasn’t I scared to death?”

“You may not have been scared to death, but one of you is stupid to death and the other is seeking death.”

“Do you believe I won’t strangle you to death right now?”

Whoosh—

A card flew past the two heads that were about to clash and lodged itself in a crack in the opposite wall.

Ling Yi played with the remaining cards in his hand as if nothing had happened, and both of them fell silent immediately.

Bo Rui obediently ran to get the card, and when he turned around, he looked as if he’d seen a ghost.

“Holy shit!”

“What’s wrong?” Ling Yi asked curiously.

Bo Rui pointed to the door in horror. The three of them turned their heads as one and saw Luo Li leaning delicately against the door, staring at them with an inscrutable look on his face. It was unknown how long he had been there.

Ling Yi: “Need to take my temperature? Nan Ting took it this morning.”

Luo Li shook his head a few times, then pressed his hands to his chest and took a deep breath with the fluttering of love in his heart: “Is this the youthful scent of young Alphas?”

The three Alphas present: “……”

“You guys have your fun.” Luo Li threw them a very lethal wink and left, humming a little tune.

The three Alphas who had never seen the world were terrified.

Da Lun: “Who was that just now?”

Ling Yi: “My caretaker.”

He received sympathetic glances.

“What’s that for? Don’t judge a person by appearances. He’s very skilled at his trade.” His makeup skills were amazing.

Da Lun: “Why does your temperature need to be taken? Are you sick?”

Before anyone else could speak, Xi Lei quickly got to his feet.

Ling Yi couldn’t endure it: “What’s wrong now? You’re so jumpy!”

Xi Lei stood at attention: “Your Highness Oser!”

Bo Rui and Da Lun also stood up hurriedly to greet him, with Ling Yi alone staying seated.

Oser reclined in the same position as Luo Li: “Is the branch school open again? What classes do you have today?”

Bo Rui and Da Lun were still anxious at the sight of His Highness Oser. They had used up all the commoner jargon they knew and could not dredge up another word more.

“Sorry, Your Highness Oser! We’re leaving now!”

“Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Aren’t you having fun?” Oser’s words nailed them to the spot. “Go on, let me see what young people play when they get together.”

The two people couldn’t tell if his words were genuine or sarcastic.

Xi Lei ran to the next room, retrieved a chair, and placed it next to Ling Yi’s.

Oser was magnanimous: “Continue with your game. Just pretend like I don’t exist.”

Bo Rui and Da Lun naturally wanted to pretend like he didn’t exist, but Oser’s pheromones were too strong. Him sitting there doing nothing only increased their stress.

Although Xi Lei wasn’t much better off, he was still happy at the knowledge that this was His Highness Oser, whom he admired.

Throughout the history of the empire, there were likely few military academy students who experienced being watched by the crown prince while playing cards. Four more entries were added to the record this day.

Bo Rui played distractedly, occasionally stealing glances at Oser’s hand on Ling Yi’s shoulder. He suddenly felt a pain in his foot.

“Ah!” Bo Rui jumped in shock and asked Xi Lei, “Why did you step on me?”

Xi Lei fixed his eyes on the cards in his hand and didn’t look away: “It’s your turn.”

Bo Rui angrily threw out two cards: “Pair of sevens!”

Xi Lei: “I play four of a kind, and you play a pair of sevens?”

“…..”

Oser smiled and said: “I didn’t expect this civilian game to be so interesting.”

Xi Lei immediately stood up. “Does Your Highness want to play? You can have my seat.”

“No need,” he declined. “Ling Yi and I can play together.”

Ling Yi went with the flow, but instead of handing the cards to Oser, he played whichever cards Oser pointed to in the spirit of cooperation.

After several rounds like this, the two of them won two consecutive games while the other three suffered bitter losses.

Ling Yi suspected that this was not the first time he had played: “I can’t believe it. Your Highness is also an expert at this commoner game?”

Oser’s tone was as arrogant as ever: “The rules are so simple. I can understand it at a glance.”

Bo Rui was depressed, and took it out on Xi Lei: “It’s obvious that you’re letting them win. You ignore His Highness Oser’s moves, but you focus on mine!”

“Prove it. I’m not ignoring His Highness, I’m ignoring you.”

“Why pay attention to me instead of His Highness Oser?”

Seeing that the two were about to quarrel again, Oser threw the cards in his hand on the table and gave them a meaningful smile.

“No nesting dolls allowed.”^[1]

Everyone: “……”

Ling Yi thought: Could it be that Oser read all thirty pages?

Oser seemed to have the ability to read minds: “Not only did I read them, I memorized them.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to have any communication problems with you.”

There were five people in the room, and three of them felt redundant.

Bo Rui was inexplicably depressed: “I can’t win even if I fight, so I don’t want to fight anymore.”

Oser leaned back and said: “It’s fine if we don’t play cards. Let’s chat.”

Da Lun asked cautiously: “What does Your Highness want to chat about?”

“We can chat about anything, as long as it’s related to Ling Yi.”

Everyone exchanged glances, and Da Lun was the first to pose a topic.

“In a few days, there will be an underground motorcycle race between Luban Military Academy and the Royal Academy. In previous years, Ling Yi always represented the team.”

“Right, right.” Bo Rui grew interested when the topic of motorcycles was brought up. “Ling Yi and that guy surnamed Lei from the Royal Academy were always neck-and-neck every year. They even made a bet: whoever loses this year’s race will never be able to ride a motorcycle again.”

“Surnamed Lei?” Oser repeated.

“What was his name…..” Bo Rui pondered.

Ling Yi: “Lei Yue.”

“That’s it!”

Oser raised an eyebrow.

Da Lun revealed a piece of information that even Ling Yi didn’t know.

“On the day of the school’s memorial service, Lei Yue also came to pay his respects.”

Ling Yi was rather surprised. He and Lei Yue were just rivals on the field. “Why was he there?”

“He came to fucking show off!” Bo Rui jumped up. “I’ll show you how it went!”

Xi Lei coughed hard: “Don’t use such uncouth words in front of His Highness Oser.”

“Don’t disturb me when I’m getting into character. I’m going to recreate the scene that day for His Highness—”

His expression immediately went solemn and he walked straight forward, his right arm bent at an angle as if he was holding something under it.

Then he walked to the table, took the thing under his arm, and placed it on the table with both hands.

Ling Yi had a sudden realization. The thing he put down had to be a helmet.

Bo Rui stared into space as if he was looking at Ling Yi’s portrait: “You agreed to compete with me, and that the loser would never touch a motorcycle again. I didn’t expect you to cancel on me in such a way.”

“Ling Yi, I lost this battle.”

He finished his performance vividly, then ended with an exaggerated vomiting gesture: “Bleh…..”

Ling Yi didn’t quite believe Bo Rui’s performance, feeling that there might be some embellishments, so he looked at Da Lun for confirmation.

“That’s how it went.” Da Lun had to admit that his acting was very good.

“Is he crazy? Who would want to beat him in this way? He doesn’t have to use me as an excuse if he doesn’t want to ride anymore.”

“Well said!” Bo Rui waved his fist. “Ling Yi, since you’re still alive, why not beat him fair and square? Otherwise, it’ll seem like we won by default!”

Ling Yi was about to say something, but he glanced at Oser first and said: “Forget it.”

“Why?” Bo Rui asked in an overdramatic tone.

“Why? The fact that I’m alive can’t be made public for the time being. Lu Hulun is still trying to find a way to assassinate me.”

“I’ll fucking z@#$%^(*) that……” A string of swear words streamed from his mouth.

Xi Lei slammed the table and stood up: “Shut up!”

The situation once again devolved into two people fighting and one person trying to separate them. This time, it was Ling Yi and Oser’s turn to be redundant.

“Be honest.” There was only Ling Yi in Oser’s eyes. Everyone else was invisible.

“It’s not a formal competition. We have a private race with the Royal Academy every year. My record against him is one win, one loss, and one draw. This match isn’t important, so I don’t have to go.”

“When and where?”

“This Saturday night, Banma Mountain.”

“Do you want to go?”

Ling Yi pretended to think: “Hmm…..”

“When he suggested beating him fair and square, your eyes lit up.”

Ling Yi was thwarted: “Is my acting worse than Bo Rui’s?”

“Put on your makeup and suppressant cuff before going, and come back after the match.”

Ling Yi’s eyes lit up again: “You agree?”

“If I don’t agree now, won’t you seduce me until I do? When I do the math, I seem to have suffered a loss.”

Ling Yi stood and grabbed Oser’s collar with both hands, pulling him in as he leaned down and kissed him from above.

The background trio: O口O！！！？

After finishing a round of ruthless attacks, Ling Yi seemed to have just noticed them: “Ah? Why are you still here?”

The three people: Is our presence so unnoticeable?

“Are you free this Saturday night?”

Bo Rui replied mechanically: “F-for what?”

“Meeting Lei Yue on top of Banma Mountain.”

. . . . . .

Before the start of the match, the peak of Banma Mountain was already filled with students from the two schools.

“I thought the match was canceled this year. Without Ling Yi, what’s the point, ah?”

“It’s said that they brought a last minute substitute. What’s the appeal of watching a substitute?”

“That’s right, even if they come, won’t they just be defeated by our Lei-ge?”

In the darkness of night, a black Soaring Eagle drove in a low-profile manner up the road ringing Banma Mountain.

Bo Rui touched things left and right in the back row, unable to hide the envy in his eyes.

“This car is so cool! The interior is completely customized. Even in the Soaring Eagle class, this is a king-class configuration.”

Da Lun kindly advised him: “You’re a royal too. Don’t act so inexperienced.”

“You know how much I count as a royal. His Highness Oser and I only share 12.5% of our bloodline.”

“No wonder you can’t be compared to him.” Xi Lei’s voice came from the front seat.

Bo Rui stuck his head between the driver and passenger seats: “I was just about to ask, why are you allowed to sit in the passenger seat?”

Ling Yi was in a very good mood tonight, and joked: “Only bodyguards sit in the passenger seat. VIPs sit in the back.”

The night breeze blew through the open windows. Long silver hair fluttered in the wind and brushed against Bo Rui’s face, and he couldn’t tell where he itched the most.

He glanced at Ling Yi through the rearview mirror, and still couldn’t understand why his own son looked so different after putting on makeup.

The corners of the rearview mirror reflected the headlights, and a flash of silver on the cuff of Ling Yi’s ear caught Bo Rui’s attention.

“What’s this?” He reached out to touch it.

But before he could, Xi Lei grabbed his wrist and he was unable to move at all. This seemed like a familiar scene.

Xi Lei gazed ahead: “I told you. If you dare touch him, you’ll lose your hand.”

The grip on Bo Rui’s wrist was so forceful that it hurt, so he could only withdraw it in frustration and mutter, unreconciled: “You really think you’re a bodyguard, sitting in that passenger seat.”

At the top of Banma Mountain, the Luban driver had yet to appear, and everyone was getting impatient.

“The match is about to start, and this substitute hasn’t shown up yet. Could it be that he heard his opponent is Lei Yue and was too scared to show his face?”

“Look, is that a Soaring Eagle? Is some bigshot from the Royal Academy coming to watch the match tonight?”

The Soaring Eagle stopped by the roadside, and Xi Lei handed Ling Yi a helmet before he got out of the car.

“Did you bring that?” Ling Yi asked in a low voice.

Xi Lei had expected this, but he still donned a gloomy expression as he slipped him the pill covertly.

Ling Yi tossed the pill into his mouth and put on his helmet, and the four people got out of the car one after another.

Someone in the audience recognized them.

“They’re not from the royal family, they’re from Luban. How could a Luban student possibly afford a car of this quality?”

“You might not know this, but that big guy is a relative of Grand Duke Sully. He’s the one who caused a scene at the ball a couple days ago.”

“Ah, I heard about that! Why is he going to the military academy instead of the Royal Academy?”

Some people were disappointed when they saw Ling Yi.

“That’s the substitute Luban found? Their hair is so long. They didn’t find a girl, did they?”

Bo Rui said loudly: “Are people from the Royal Academy sexist? We at Luban have crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Even if we found a girl or an Omega, we would still beat you!”

“You talk a big game. Don’t cry if you lose. Our Lei-ge isn’t good at coaxing girls!”

A burst of laughter erupted.

Ling Yi remained unmoved, walking straight toward his motorcycle.

The motorcycle he was using today had been prepared for him by Oser, and it had been sent to the top of the mountain in advance. Presently, it was parked right beside Lei Yue’s at the starting line.

Someone wearing a helmet was already waiting there.

“I’ve run this mountain road many times, and I’m very familiar with the road conditions. It would be unfair of me to compete with you here. Think carefully before making your decision.”

“Beat me first, then you can say your victory was unfair.”

“I feel I have an obligation to explain this upfront.”

Ling Yi got on his motorcycle: “Are you done with this nonsense?”

“Wait a moment.”

Lei Yue lowered his head and remained motionless for about thirty seconds.

Ling Yi: “What are you doing? Praying?”

“Taking a moment of silence for a deceased friend. Today’s match should have belonged to him.”

Ling Yi turned the handlebars and heard the roar of the engine, feeling secretly delighted.

This motorcycle was worthy of being sponsored by His Highness. It was much better than his previous one.

He couldn’t stop touching it, and patted the hood, wondering if he would have a chance to ride such a nice machine again in the future.

Lei Yue didn’t quite understand his behavior: “That old friend was also your schoolmate. Shouldn’t you be mourning him too?”

Ling Yi rolled his eyes behind his helmet.

“No need. Let’s get started.”

---

[1] In forums, this means not to keep quoting someone else’s messages and creating a long string of nested messages. Basically, stop repeating each other. ⮐

---

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Chapter 28 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 30

When Bai Lihong saw his uncle go to the barrel, he quickly followed.

He could just barely see a smaller wooden basin inside.

He was almost the same size as the barrel, and stood on tiptoe to find that it was full of ice!

The ice inside the wooden basin was crystal clear, reflecting the dumbfounded expression on his face.

The child’s eyes immediately widened, and there was thinly-veiled surprise on Qin Xiao’s face as well.

Chu Jiubian watched Qin Xiao’s expression with interest. What was he feeling?

He’d thought this person was able to completely conceal his feelings, but it seemed he was still young and inexperienced. Hadn’t he still revealed a hint of emotion?

Sensing his gaze from the side, Qin Xiao looked away from the basin of ice.

There was an unspeakable emotion in his dark eyes as he looked straight into Chu Jiubian’s.

Chu Jiubian stood at 1.83 meters, which was considered tall among men, but Qin Xiao was half a head taller than him, putting him at around 1.9 meters.

In this situation, his height advantage and fierce aura instantly brought a heavy sense of oppression over Chu Jiubian.

Chu Jiubian didn’t avert his gaze, but raised his eyes slightly to give him a thought-provoking smile. He asked: “Lord Ning-wang, is this a fun thing?”

Before Qin Xiao could respond, a clear childish voice came from below: “Fun!”

Bai Lihong gripped the edge of the barrel with his small hands, standing on tiptoe with great effort. He looked up at the two “giants” beside him and said excitedly: “Chu Jiubian, you have so much ice, ah! It feels so cool!”

Children were not as heat-resistant as adults, and the summer heat was at its peak these days. It was true that Bai Lihong couldn’t sleep at night due to the heat, but he didn’t cry because of it.

Seeing such a large piece of ice now, he couldn’t help reaching out to touch it – but his arms were too short.

The child chattered on about how satisfied he was with this “toy,” but he was an intelligent boy, and when he noticed the strange atmosphere between the two adults, he fell silent.

Qin Xiao lightly twisted the ring on his thumb. A smile appeared in his eyes, and in an instant, the tense atmosphere between the two of them dissipated.

“It’s fun.” Qin Xiao’s slightly low voice held a smile. “It’s really fun.”

Chu Jiubian was quite satisfied with this answer, and said: “This should be able to relieve your worries, but what about what you promised me?”

Qin Xiao smoothly agreed: “This palace is Jiu-gongzi’s home, and he may do whatever he wants.”

“Jiu-gongzi?” Chu Jiubian’s eyelid twitched slightly. What a silly name.

Qin Xiao smiled and said: “Jiu-gongzi’s reputation has spread throughout the entire capital nowadays, and even those who curse me are fewer. This lord must thank you.”

Although the Qin family was prestigious and had a good reputation among the common people, ever since he killed all those spies in front of Shenwu Gate for three days and three nights, more people had been scolding him than praising him.

Especially those powerful families, who criticized him behind his back for being cruel and ruthless and having evil ambitions.

But now, these people were attempting every means to get close to the “immortal” Chu Jiubian, and didn’t even have time to curse Qin Xiao.

Chu Jiubian guessed what was going on and said: “If Lord Ning-wang really wants to thank me, why not do me another favor?”

It would be even better if he could go out of the palace again. He wondered if the scenery in ancient times was the same as the sets he had acted on.

“It’s dangerous outside the palace,” Qin Xiao exaggerated. “Perhaps when this lord is free one day, I’ll take you out for a walk?”

This meant he still intended to keep an eye on him. But being able to freely move around the palace was still a big improvement.

Chu Jiubian was just testing the waters, and since his words had no results, he didn’t argue with him.

When the other party went silent, Qin Xiao thought for a moment and said: “Three days. I’ll take you out in three days.”

This time, Chu Jiubian was genuinely surprised. He sent the other party a suspicious look. Was Qin Xiao so easy to deal with?

He was probably going to get cheated again.

Changing the subject, Qin Xiao bowed with a rare solemn expression and said: “Asking the Young Master to help me make ice.”

With no further discussion, Chu Jiubian had someone hand over the ice-making method. He had no intention of keeping it to himself, and said bluntly: “I told you I’d provide you a way. I don’t go back on my word.” Unlike Qin Xiao, who’d lost a bet and refused to pay up.

Qin Xiao bowed again without hesitation: “Then on behalf of the common people and His Majesty, thank you, Young Master.”

Although the elite nowadays had cellars for storing ice, none of them were in the capital, and the closest ones were in the outskirts.

The roads were difficult to travel, and the weather was so hot that most of the ice would have melted by the time it was transported to the capital.

Now that Qin Xiao had this ice-making method, it would be much easier to just make it and sell it in the capital. Those elites were not short of money, and never cut corners when it came to making their lives comfortable. This ice-selling business was bound to be extremely profitable.

The issue of the empty treasury would naturally be solved.

Chu Jiubian hadn’t expected Qin Xiao to give him such sincere thanks, and especially hadn’t expected him to add “on behalf of the common people and His Majesty.”

How could a treacherous villain be so upright?

Perhaps he was planning to take the majority of the ice-making profits.

But this had nothing to do with Chu Jiubian. His only goal was to ensure his freedom.

He had originally planned to tell Qin Xiao about how to use saltpeter to make tinderboxes and fireworks, but there was no need to rush. If Qin Xiao really did what he said and took him out of the palace in three days, it wouldn’t be too late to tell him about it then. He could just treat it as another business deal.

“Take out that basin of ice first. I’ll teach you how to make it,” Chu Jiubian told Qin Xiao.

Eunuch Hong had known that Qin Xiao had something to discuss with Chu Jiubian, so he led Xiao Xiangzi and the others to guard outside the main house. At present, there were only the two adults and one three-year-old emperor in the room.

Chu Jiubian didn’t want to do the work, and the young emperor couldn’t do it, so that just left Qin Xiao.

He didn’t drag his feet. After Chu Jiubian spoke, he immediately took out the basin of ice and set it on the floor.

Bai Lihong couldn’t reach it before, but now he could finally touch it and get a better look.

“Chu Jiubian, can I touch this ice?” The little boy squatted beside the ice basin, looking over pitifully with his head tilted upwards.

“This is a gift for Your Majesty,” Chu Jiubian said.

Bai Lihong immediately gave a white-toothed smile: “Thank you, Chu Jiubian!”

“Your Majesty is too polite.” Chu Jiubian wanted to reach out and pat the little boy’s head. He was such a cute kid, but when he grew up, he would be resolute and decisive. He didn’t know how Qin Xiao could have raised such a person.

Bai Lihong reached out with his little hand to carefully touch the ice. With a shiver, he quickly withdrew his hand and pressed it against his chubby face.

That little face, which had previously been red from the heat, felt cool and comfortable.

Bai Lihong’s face lit up after tasting this sweetness, and he repeated the action again and again to cool down his face.

Nearby, Chu Jiubian had already instructed Qin Xiao to pour the remaining saltpeter into another wooden barrel filled with water, and then to stir it with a wooden stick. 

When the stirring was almost done, he filled a smaller basin with water and carefully placed it inside the wooden barrel, ensuring that it was surrounded by the water.

“Like this?” Qin Xiao asked.

Chu Jiubian nodded: “Just like this.”

Qin Xiao was somewhat flummoxed.

How had nobody ever discovered such a simple thing?

He had just touched the saltpeter water, and it was a little cold. If those people from the Imperial Hospital ever accidentally dropped saltpeter into water, wouldn’t they discover the same thing?

Had there never been such an accident, or did those people just not use their brains?

Chu Jiubian saw through his thoughts practically at a glance and said: “This method is simple, but the prerequisite is that the saltpeter must be purified.”

“Purified?” Qin Xiao had noticed that the saltpeter here with Chu Jiubian was different from what he had seen before, but he’d thought it was just finely ground.

“Xiao Xiangzi and the others know how to do it, so just ask them.”

“Okay.” Qin Xiao lowered his eyes to look at the basin in front of him. The water inside hadn’t changed much.

“How long does it take?” he asked.

“If it’s fast, a few quarters of an hour. If it’s slow, a half hour more than that.” Qin Xiao nodded. This was much faster than he had expected.

“This saltpeter is truly miraculous,” he said.

“It has more uses than just this,” Chu Jiubian said intentionally.

Qin Xiao turned his head to find the young man giving him a faint smile.

Qin Xiao smiled back.

It seemed he would have to wait and see what other uses saltpeter had in the future.

Bai Lihong saw that they had concluded their business, and that he finally had a chance to interrupt them. He quickly stood up and walked in front of Chu Jiubian, then looked up and asked: “Chu Jiubian, have you met my mother?”

Chu Jiubian was stunned. He crouched down to give him his full attention: “Your mother?”

“Yeah.” Bai Lihong’s eyes were full of anticipation. “My mother went to heaven and became an immortal. Have you seen her?”

He had never met anyone who could make ice, so Chu Jiubian must be a god!

Qin Xiao lowered his eyes toward his nephew’s little round head. He started to say something, but stopped.

He then glanced at Chu Jiunbian, somewhat curious about what this “god” would say.

Chu Jiubian thought of the description of the empress in the original novel. She was an intelligent, courageous, gentle woman.

“I’ve never seen her,” Chu Jiubian said.

The young emperor looked visibly disappointed.

“But I’ve heard of her,” Chu Jiubian continued.

Bai Lihong was stunned.

“She is very strong, and she must want you to be as brave and strong as she is.”

These were not Chu Jiubian’s words, but the dying thoughts of the empress in the novel. She hoped that her child would grow up to be a wise and upright ruler who would create a prosperous era for the Great Ning Dynasty.

Bai Lihong’s eyes suddenly reddened, but he forced himself to hold back his tears.

“I remember. Mother said that people should be brave.” 

[Congratulations, Host! Your accumulated Faith Value has exceeded 100 points. The Divine Realm function is now open. You may enter and invite a Believer at any time.]

Chu Jiubian’s heart skipped a beat.

Just before Qin Xiao and the young emperor arrived, the score was at 98 and hadn’t increased in a while, but now it had actually exceeded 100.

The Divine Realm and Space functions were calculated based on the accumulated points, and Chu Jiubian had previously consumed 1.5 points. In other words, he had just gained another .5 points, which caused the accumulated value to reach 100.

He looked at the young emperor in front of him who had already fought back his tears, and knew where that .5 points came from.

What a good boy, he thought.

Time passed little by little. The three people in the room didn’t speak as the water in the basin gradually cooled and turned into ice.

Qin Xiao stood by and watched the water turn into ice with his own eyes. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t shaken.

Once the ice slowly solidified, he reached out and touched it lightly.

His fingertips trembled at the cold sensation.

He looked at Chu Jiubian with deep and unfathomable eyes, his thoughts unknown.

Chu Jiubian had long been eager to enter the Divine Realm. When their eyes met, he said at once: “If there is nothing else, My Lord should have his own business to take care of, right?”

He was driving him away.

Qin Xiao chuckled, and without further ado, he took the young emperor away from Yaotai Residence.

The two basins of ice were naturally not taken from the room, but Xiao Yinzi and Xiao Jinzi, who knew the process of purifying saltpeter, were taken away.

After they left, Xiao Xiangzi, Shui Qing, and Shui Yun went into the main house to perform their duties.

It went without saying how shocked they were to see the two basins of ice. Chu Jiubian had already hidden in the bedroom, and after instructing that he should not be disturbed, he eagerly lay down on the bed and opened the System interface.

The [Divine Realm] section, which had been greyed-out before, was now lit up. Chu Jiubian clicked on it without hesitation.

In an instant, a sensation of dizziness and weightlessness spread throughout his body. It took him a few seconds to regain control, and his feet seemed to step onto solid ground.

He steadied himself and slowly opened his eyes.

A vague white mist lingered around him, slowly swirling, and it was difficult for him to tell whether this was reality or a dream.

[Hello, Host. The Divine Realm has been opened. In the Divine Realm, you and your Believers exist as a form of consciousness, while your bodies remain in their original three-dimentional space and appear to be asleep.]

[As the one true god in the Divine Realm, you have the right to make changes to all objects. To ensure your privacy, you can also choose to change your appearance.]

The System was straightforward and businesslike, never rambling as it briefly explained the functions of the Divine Realm.

The one true god.

Chu Jiubian chewed over these words. His thoughts moved, and the white mist around him dissipated in a flash to be replaced by a pure white space with no visible boundaries.

There was nothing in this space except the ground beneath his feet.

When looking forward, back, left, right, or upward, he could only see the space extending out endlessly.

The was the original appearance of the Divine Realm.

The corners of Chu Jiubian’s lips curved up, and he turned to look behind him.

The empty white space shook, and several towering jade pillars with dragons coiled around them abruptly rose from the ground to stand on both sides of the space. They extended upward until a white mist appeared, shrouding the endless space overhead.

Spots of golden light appeared and moved leisurely within the white mist. One could see the indistinct silhouettes of huge buildings hidden within it, such as pavilions and palaces with upturned eaves. Faintly, one seemed to hear the low cries of dragons and phoenixes.

As Chu Jiubian stepped forward, white jade steps appeared under his feet, extending to the left and right until they vanished into the mist with no end in sight.

After twenty-seven steps, Chu Jiubian came to a stop, and a new piece of ground extended under his feet.

A wide, thick white jade chair slowly took shape here, with a high, straight back and wide armrests.

Chu Jiubian took a couple of steps forward, turned around, and sat down on the chair.

Simultaneously, his clothes transformed into the same incredibly gorgeous ones he’d transmigrated in. 

He sat casually on the chair and crossed his legs. The jewels and beads on his boots made soft clinking sounds, and the chair adjusted itself to best fit his body shape.

Looking down from this angle, a white jade table had appeared beneath the twenty-seven steps. There was nothing on the table, but a wide chair sat behind it facing Chu Jiubian.

This was a seat for Believers, and there was only one at the moment.

A wisp of white mist poured down from the sky, faintly blurring the long table like a gauze curtain. Hazy red plum blossoms swayed within it, and there seemed to be a faint fragrance of plums as the misty curtain was lifted by a steady breeze.

Were someone to sit at that long table, they would see the faint, blurry outline of the jade steps behind the curtain, extending slowly upward like a ladder to heaven.

But from Chu Jiubian’s position, he could clearly see the situation below.

The Believers logically shouldn’t be able to see Chu Jiubian behind the curtain, but just in case, he stretched out his hand and a bronze half mask appeared in his palm.

He put the mask on and called up the System again: “How do I connect to Believers?”

[The System Card Library has been updated. Please draw a card to select.]

Hadn’t it said he could bring in anyone he wanted?

Chu Jiubian frowned. Drawing cards wasn’t exactly reliable.

Perhaps because it was within the System space, the System directly placed the cards into the void in front of Chu Jiubian – a total of six.

[Asking Host to extract keywords.]

Chu Jiubian understood that when drawing a card, one must first select a keyword, and then choose a person associated with that keyword to become a Believer.

It was just that there were no words written on the cards, so he could only click on one at random. The other five were immediately retracted by the System.

Two traditional Chinese characters gradually coalesced on the remaining card: “Armed Forces.”

Chu Jiubian raised his eyebrows.

He’d gotten lucky, ah. What he currently lacked was the ability to protect himself. If he had his own armed forces, he could be more confident in his dealings with Qin Xiao.

[Keyword confirmed. Currently selecting qualified Believers for Host.]

[Selection completed. Four character cards are reserved. Please make a selection.]

The System’s requirements for selecting Believers were very complex, so Chu Jiubian didn’t expect to have very many people to choose from. Right now, having four was good enough.

The keyword card was taken back, and four new cards appeared in front of him.

Unlike the previous blind selection, the four cards in front of him revealed the name, identity, and armed forces represented by the “reserved Believers.”

Chu Jiubian glanced over them.

[Pingxi-wang Bai Lizheng. Age 35. Fifth Uncle of Emperor Bai Lihong, with a fief located in Sichuan. Armed forces consist of 50,000 Sichuan troops.]

[Anhuai-wang Bai Liming. Age 18. Cousin of Emperor Bai Lihong (son of the emperor’s fourth uncle). Armed forces consist of 30,000 Henan troops.]

[Mobei Army Commander Jiang Shuoye. Age 25. Grandson of Lord Zhenbei, whose family is in decline. Armed forces consist of 80,000 Mobei troops. (Recommended!)]

Chu Jiubian found the word “recommended” in the brackets a little funny.

Was this the System’s selfish motives?

But compared to the two previous Imperial relatives, the commander of the Mobei Army with 80,000 troops was indeed more suitable. His strength seemed to be much higher than the other two.

But the Northern Desert was so far away from the capital. If something really did happen to Chu Jiubian, it was difficult to say whether the other party could make it there in time.

He was temporarily undecided.

Then he looked at the last card, and his expression went blank.

The card read: [Ning-wang Qin Xiao. Age 25. Armed forces consist of 50,000 elite Qin Army soldiers and 10,000 *****. (Not recommended!)]

---

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Chapter 10 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 12

Chu Jiubian opened the System interface and saw that the Faith Value column now displayed a shining 58 points!

In disbelief, he logged out and logged in again, only to see that his points had risen again to 59.

What had happened last night?

Chu Jiubian pondered, and quickly made a guess.

The two poems he wrote down yesterday must have spread. And Qin Xiao must not have told anyone to hide Chu Jiubian’s identity, so thanks to the ancestors Li Bai and Li Qingzhao, Chu Jiubian’s name had really spread.

And in order for his Faith Value to have increased so quickly, there must be many people who believed in his identity as a “god.”

A cunning smile surfaced in Chu Jiubian’s eyes.

For there to be so many faith points in one night, they must have been contributed by well-informed people. 

After daybreak, more people would find out about these two poems, and the Faith Value would assuredly continue to rise.

If this was the case, then the System’s words about the Faith Value exceeding 100 today was likely to come to fruition.

With such a pleasant surprise upon waking, the state of Chu Jiubian’s mood was self-evident.

However, for those two poems to have reached the ears of so many people in just one night, Qin Xiao must have been fanning the flames behind the scenes.

No matter the other party’s reasons, considering the fact that he had helped him by accident, Chu Jiubian didn’t find it so painful to tell him that saltpeter could be used to make tinderboxes and fireworks.

When he heard sounds inside the room, Xiao Xiangzi immediately greeted him from where he was standing guard outside the door: “Is the Young Master getting up? May this servant come in and serve you?”

After yesterday’s interactions, everyone in Yaotai Residence knew that Chu Jiubian was not a fussy person. He was unwilling to delegate many things to others, and nor did he want the servants to wait on him.

Chu Jiubian had already put on his overrobe, and said: “Get me a basin of water.”

“Yes.”

Xiao Yinzi and Xiao Jinzi came in together, one holding a basin of water and the other holding soap for washing his face and a brush for brushing his teeth.

The toothbrush was a piece of a willow branch, and the process of crushing it between your teeth performed the function of cleaning them.

Chu Jiubian had acted in several costume dramas and liked to pick up various bits of knowledge, so he learned whenever he had the chance. He had studied these things, and could use them skillfully.

This method did work, but it was no match for an actual toothbrush, and this soap was no match for modern soap either.

It seemed he would need to find an opportunity to make daily necessities such as toothbrushes, tooth powder, and soap.

But he needed to take things one step at a time and not give Qin Xiao the illusion that he was too proactive, lest the other party not take him seriously or simply treat him as a useful tool.

After washing up, he carefully tied his long hair at the back and went to check on the saltpeter that had been set out to dry yesterday.

Xiao Xiangzi also got up and followed him in high spirits.

Chu Jiubian thoroughly inspected the purified saltpeter, and after confirming that there were no problems, he said to Xiao Xiangzi: “After the morning court session, go and invite your lord over.”

“Yes.” Xiao Xiangzi nodded. “Is there anything else this servant should do?”

Chu Jiubian paused, then gave him a sideways glance.

Xiao Xiangzi smiled with even more friendliness, and the dimples on his cheeks deepened.

He was a very likeable child.

Shui Qing and Shui Yun came from the kitchen to the front courtyard, carrying a fairly substantial tray of breakfast.

“Young Master, breakfast is ready,” the two of them greeted him together.

Chu Jiubian said with a nod: “I’ll eat in the courtyard.”

Although it wasn’t a large courtyard, there was some scenery available, as well as a small pavilion with a round stone table and four stone benches.

Shui Qing and Shui Yun responded affirmatively, then placed breakfast on the table and moved aside.

Chu Jiubian walked over and sat down, and Xiao Xiangzi immediately picked up the chopsticks and handed them to him.

Chu Jiubian took them and asked casually: “Have you eaten?”

“This servant has already eaten,” Xiao Xiangzi replied.

They had all indeed washed and eaten before Chu Jiubian woke up, so that they could serve their master well.

Chu Jiubian couldn’t help but look between the three of them, then toward the main house where Xiao Jinzi and Xiao Yinzi were cleaning.

These five people were his neighbors, with whom he would be cohabitating for an extended period of time. Although they were all Qin Xiao’s people, if Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao appeared to be an indivisible whole on the surface, then he and these five people could be considered colleagues, right?

And if they were all colleagues in the future, would it be okay to complain about Qin Xiao, their “boss,” and chat about gossip and their daily goings-on?

A dim light flashed in Chu Jiubian’s eyes.

Soon after, he finished his breakfast and began to pace around the courtyard.

Xiao Xiangzi stood nearby, and Xiao Jinzi and Xiao Yinzi were pruning the courtyard’s flowers and plants and dealing with weeds. Shui Qing and Shui Yun brought the used tableware back to the kitchen and handed it to a maid, then came back to the main courtyard and stood quietly under the eaves of the main house.

Chu Jiubian squinted his eyes at the rising sun. From time to time, he could hear the chirping of birds.

What a great day for a heart-to-heart talk, ah.

The five people who were focused on Chu Jiubian heard him give a soft sigh.

They automatically looked over, and saw the morning sun shining down on a young man with the appearance of a banished immortal. He wore a dark blue set of robes, and the red collar of his inner garments made his already pale skin look even more delicate and translucent.

His light-hued eyes were gazing far away in the direction of Yangxin Palace, as if he had a heart full of sorrows and no one to tell them to.

Flowers fall and water flows, one kind of longing, and two kinds of idle worries.

There is no way to dispel this feeling. It has only just left my brow, yet still it lingers in my heart.

These two lines of poetry simultaneously emerged in the minds of this group of people, and Chu Jiubian in front of them seemed to have become the passionate individual who was yearning for his lover.

Shui Yun was a sentimental person. When she saw this scene, she felt a pang of sadness and asked: “Young Master, is there anything on your mind?”

After asking this, she suddenly realized that she may have crossed a line and immediately bowed and apologized.

Chu Jiubian waved a hand and said: “It’s okay.” Then he gave another deep sigh.

This time, it was Xiao Xiangzi who couldn’t stop himself. He asked in concern: “Young Master, if there is anything you need, please say it. This servant will do his best to help you.”

Chu Jiubian looked at him, then glanced at the others: “It’s nothing serious. I just miss your lord a little bit.”

“M-miss…..” Xiao Xiangzi spoke with difficulty. “Our lord?”

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyes and said nothing more. He just sat there dejectedly as if lost in his own thoughts, leaving the others to their endless imaginings.

The power of the imagination should not be underestimated. Free speculation and filling in the blanks was much more preferable to Chu Jiubian than making up a story himself.

Sure enough, the five people in the courtyard aside from Chu Jiubian exchanged glances at this moment, their eyes full of surprise and disbelief. 

Xiao Yinzi was so agitated and uncomfortable that he could only get up and quietly leave the courtyard. 

They actually didn’t know much about Chu Jiubian. They only knew that he was a mysterious person who fell from the sky during the coronation ceremony and predicted the rainfall, and there were many different opinions about him.

However, none of these opinions was consistent with the idea that “Chu Jiubian missed Qin Xiao.”

Xiao Yinzi hurried out of Yaotai Residence and headed straight to Yangxin Palace with a clear purpose, intending to question the eunuchs serving there. He had to figure out what was going on, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to eat or sleep.

Chu Jiubian naturally noticed him, but feigned ignorance.

Go ahead and find out. You should hear the truth about this “love tribulation,” ah.

Suddenly, a notification sounded in his mind: [Congratulations, Host. Your Faith Value has reached 80 and is expected to exceed 100 by noon. Please keep up the good work.]

Chu Jiubian’s eyelashes trembled slightly.

At the same time, in the back gardens of the Minister of Personnel’s manor, unmarried young ladies from noble families gathered together. There were twelve or thirteen of them, plus their maids, for a total of more than thirty people.

These were all beautiful, lively girls in their prime, but the dresses they wore had monotonous colors, and were all a bit dull. There was not a single bright, pretty color like pink or yellow.

It wasn’t that the girls didn’t like such things, but dying technology was limited in this era, and there were only a few types of dyes that could be produced.

A girl in a pure white dress stood in the pavilion, gently waving the round fan in her hand. In a bright, clear voice, she said: “My favorite line is ‘who sent this brocade letter from the clouds? When the geese return, the moon is full over the western tower.’ It is truly beautiful.”

“Seond Miss Su, is it the ‘full moon over the western tower’ you like, or the ‘brocade letter’ sent back by someone?” Another young lady teased suggestively.

The girls immediately all laughed out loud.

Su Xi’er’s face instantly flushed, and she said in embarrassment: “What nonsense is this? Stop laughing!”

The girls laughed even more heartily, and Su Xi’er hurriedly found a place to sit where she could hide herself behind the girl next to her.

That girl was none other than Zhao Xi, Third Miss Zhao of the Minister of Personnel’s family. She laughed when she saw this, but still shielded the other girl behind her, saying: “Okay, okay, stop teasing her. Who wants to speak next and get back to proper business?”

Another girl then stood up to recite her favorite line, and everyone moved on from the previous one.

Zhao Xi turned to look at Su Xi’er beside her. Seeing that her face was still red, she couldn’t help but smile.

Su Xi’er was even more embarrassed: “You’re teasing me too.”

“Okay, okay, I won’t make any more trouble.” Zhao Xi held her hand and moved closer, whispering in her ear: “I heard that Commander An has been in favor recently. Your father should have a better attitude toward him now.”

Su Xi’er’s face flamed even hotter. She subconsciously looked around to make sure no one could overhear their conversation, and only then did she somewhat relax.

Now that her beloved had been mentioned, she couldn’t help but want to talk to her friend about him, so she pulled the other girl to her feet to go elsewhere.

Zhao Xi simply took her to her own courtyard, and they chattered away.

“Father has indeed stopped being so hostile toward him recently.” Su Xie’er beamed. “But he is reluctant to allow me to marry so early, and he also thinks that a warrior like him won’t be caring enough.”

Zhao Xi said at once: “Who says warriors can’t be caring? From what I’ve seen, the young and talented Commander An is different from other warriors. Besides, you’ll be marrying down if you marry him, and there are no elders in his family, so you’ll definitely live an unrestrained life.”

“Mother feels the same way.” There was a trace of desolation on Su Xi’er’s face. “But he and I have only met two times. Perhaps my feelings are unrequited and he doesn’t even know who I am.”

“How could that be? You have good looks, a good personality, and you come from a good family…..” Zhao Xi lowered her voice and continued: “Besides, your father is a loyal minister, exactly the kind of person Lord Ning-wang wants to befriend, and Commander An is one of Lord Ning-wang’s subordinates. As long as you’re interested, this marriage will definitely be a success.”

The relationships between the elite in the capital were complicated. Most of them were related to the four great families and various vassal kings, but Minister of Revenue Su Sheng was different. His ancestors had followed Emperor Wuzong to conquer the territory, and the generations that followed were all loyal ministers to the Imperial family.

Qin Xiao now represented Bai Lihong and the Imperial family, and no one would think it wrong for Su Sheng to develop close ties with him.

Su Xi’er knew this was the truth, but in her girlish worries, she also thought it would be ideal if her beloved also had feelings for her.

*

*

At another manor in the capital, a group of ladies were gathered to enjoy the same poem: [A Spray of Plum Blossoms].

Unlike the young girls, although these ladies also wore smiles on their faces, such expressions appeared much more distant.

And as they discussed the poem, they also began to discuss people – from the Immortal Poet and the Scholar of Serenity, to the mysterious “Jiu-gongzi.”

“Jiu-gongzi actually seems to comprehend the poems written by immortals. I fear he really is a god who descended to the mortal world.”

“I think it’s probably true. Otherwise, with the coronation ceremony being so heavily guarded, even the most formidable martial arts master wouldn’t have been able to appear so silently, right?”

“There really are gods in this world. Why do I feel a little panicked?”

“I couldn’t sleep last night, so I came to see you all early this morning. Why don’t we go to Lingjue Temple this afternoon and ask the master to chant some scriptures for us so that we can feel more at ease?”

“Perfect. Then it’s settled,” the lady of the host family said. “We’ll all have lunch here at noon, take a break, and then go to the temple.”

The ladies of each family quickly instructed their maids to go back and report to their families, and to arrange for carriages and horses.

They had also believed in gods and the supernatural before, and often invited each other to go to the temple to pray for blessings. But now that a “god” was actually in front of them, they were panicked and frightened, but without a clear idea of what they were afraid of.

But for the “god” Chu Jiubian, their reverent and fearful awe was the best thing.

Just this morning, he had witnessed his Faith Value skyrocket all the way to 98. With two more points, he would be able to open the Divine Realm!

While in this state of excitement, he saw Qin Xiao arrive after morning court with the young emperor walking half a step ahead of him.

Xiao Xiangzi and the others immediately knelt to pay their respects.

Logically speaking, Chu Jiubian’s actual identity now was that of a “commoner” and illegal resident, but the thought of kneeling didn’t even cross his mind.

Doing it while shooting a movie was one thing, but he would be uncomfortable kneeling before someone, especially when that person was a three-year-old child.

Besides, he had given himself the identity of a “god,” so why should he follow the customs of mortals?

Perhaps because his attitude was so matter-of-fact, nobody thought it was rude for him to remain standing, but instead thought it was the way things should be.

Even Qin Xiao had never told Chu Jiubian to observe etiquette.

Bai Lihong moved very quickly on his short legs, approaching Chu Jiubian almost eagerly to look up at him with sparkling eyes.

Perhaps it was because of the hot weather, but even though he had come here in a sedan chair, his face was sun-reddened and his hair was damp.

This was the male protagonist in his childhood, ah.

Seeing him wobble, Chu Jiubian was afraid he would accidentally tumble backwards, so he crouched down.

He gave a friendly smile and took the initiative to say: “Hello, Your Majesty.”

Qin Xiao stood a couple of steps behind Bai Lihong, neither too close nor too far. It was a position that put no pressure on the other person, but was still within the immediate range to protect him.

Bai Lihong sensed Chu Jiubian’s friendliness and smiled with his little white teeth, saying: “Hello, Chu Jiubian.”

Chu Jiubian found it quite amusing to be called by his full name by such a small child.

“Chu Jiubian,” Bai Lihong asked impatiently, “Where is the fun thing?”

Chu Jiubian raised his eyes to look at Qin Xiao.

The other party was calm and composed, and even offered him a smile.

A fun thing? This bastard Qin Xiao was messing with him again.

If he hadn’t made something good, wouldn’t the young emperor be bored?

Then wouldn’t Chu Jiubian have committed the crime of “deceiving the emperor?”

Wouldn’t he have been sent to prison again?

Chu Jiubian’s expression was tranquil. He stood up and said: “Follow me.”

Having said this, he headed toward the main house.

As early as half an hour ago, Chu Jiubian had estimated the time when morning court would end and made ice. 

It would take longer for the ice to form now that the weather was hot, but over half an hour was definitely sufficient.

Sure enough, he felt the chill hit him when he opened the main door.

It was done.

He entered the room and turned to look toward the door.

The young emperor and Qin Xiao walked in one after another, and their expressions changed in an instant.

Qin Xiao unconsciously frowned, while Bai Lihong exclaimed in delight: “Chu Jiubian, it’s so cool in your house, ah!”

Chu Jiubian smiled and pointed to a large barrel in the room, saying: “Your Majesty, that is the fun thing.”

Bai Lihong didn’t run over immediately, but instead glanced at Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao’s gaze fell on the wooden barrel. He had a vague suspicion in mind, and was unable to stop his heart from beating wildly.

If it was true…..

The frivolous, carefree look on his face had long vanished. He took long strides toward the barrel and peered inside. 

In the next moment, a string in his mind seemed to snap.

It was actually ice!

---

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Chapter 9 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 11

Chapter 48 – Shamed Into Anger

“Why are you trying to kill us?” Seeing that Lu Chengye wasn’t saying anything else and was about to take action, Fang Yang quickly spoke out.

Talking too much led to a villain’s death. This truth could be understood by reading more books and listening to more stories.

It wasn’t that Lu Chengye didn’t know this, but just like every villain with this knowledge, he couldn’t help showing off when faced with a secure victory.

Lu Chengye raised his chin and said haughtily: “Do you even need to ask? Fang Yang, there is actually no deep grudge between us. At most, you opposed me, and I destroyed half your cultivation in return. Our debt is settled.”

“Are you the one who told someone to put the Blazing Sun Flower in my bowl?” Fang Yang asked in a tone of surprise.

“You’ve only realized it just now? Hahaha, how have you survived until today when you’re this stupid?” His poisoning had been exposed, but Lu Chengye wasn’t flustered at all. Instead, he regarded Fang Yang with disdain and shook his head with a sigh, as if regretting that this youth had been born with looks but no brain.

“You!” Fang Yang shouted furiously, gripping the hilt of his sword.

“But!” Lu Chengye’s voice suddenly rose, drowning out Fang Yang. He continued in a cold tone: “Who told your useless shixiong to humiliate me that day? It’s obvious that he won through luck – it was an unfair victory! As a result, he’s the object of everyone’s admiration while I, the real champion, have become a joke!”

Blocked behind Fang Yang, Cao Zirui was moved when he heard this, and finally remembered who Lu Chengye was. It turned out that he was the final champion during the Foundation Establishment tournament that day.

And the useless shixiong Lu Chengye had mentioned should be the junior disciple Feng Ye, whose swordsmanship was so exquisite that his own couldn’t match it.

Feng Ye’s victory over Lu Chengye had not just been luck. Cao Zirui had clearly seen that there was nothing wrong with Lu Chengye’s sword – it had broken entirely because of Feng Ye’s repeated attacks.

But although he knew this, he didn’t refute Lu Chengye at this moment. If he angered the other party, Lu Chengye might just kill them directly.

Although buying time wouldn’t provide a solution to their current crisis, it was better to delay as long as possible.

Thus, Cao Zirui simply remained standing behind Fang Yang while secretly regulating his spiritual power.

“By poisoning me, weren’t you trying to prevent me from participating in the afternoon competition?” After Fang Yang learned that it was Lu Chengye who’d poisoned him, it was also easy to guess his reasoning. 

It was precisely because he felt that he had a strong rival, and wanted to block his way to the championship.

“You’re a waste!” Fang Yang said coldly. “You didn’t even have the courage to confront me head-on, yet you have the nerve to say that someone else won unfairly!”

When he heard this, Lu Chengye clenched his fingers so tightly that his knuckles cracked. Fang Yang had hit the nail on the head, and he was shamed into anger, veins popping out on his forehead.

However, just as he was about to lose control, he suddenly calmed down and donned a mocking smile once again: “Whatever you say. Since you’re about to die, shouldn’t I allow you some last words?”

“There’s no deep grudge between you and me. If you need to blame something, just blame your bad luck. Who told you to hang around Feng Ye when there are so many other people you could spend time with?” As Lu Chengye spoke, he raised the hand holding the golden arrow, as if preparing to take action.

Not good. I haven’t delayed long enough, Fang Yang thought. The Mysterious Big Brother had fallen silent after telling him to buy some time, and he had no idea what to do next.

He asked him silently in his spiritual consciousness, but there was no answer.

It couldn’t be that he fell asleep again, right?

Of course Feng Ye hadn’t fallen asleep. It would be strange if he was able to.

The battle on land had not yet begun, but three hundred meters under the sea, the battle horn had already sounded.

The tentacles surrounding Feng Ye were spread out like chrysanthemum petals, and had closed in while Fang Yang was talking to Lu Chengye.

Feng Ye was trapped inside a cage of continuously constricting tentacles. Once the opening and closing suckers came into contact with his skin, they would inevitably begin to tear off swathes of flesh.

And he was unarmed, lacking even a sword to cut off the tentacles.

The situation seemed to be getting worse.

They hadn’t expected it to be so easy. The monsters gathered here, represented by the octopus, had thought that the person a god had sent them to kill would be very difficult to deal with.

Who could have expected that this human would be helpless in the deep sea, and was about to be eaten by the octopus without them even having to lift a fin?

Most of the monsters held this opinion, convinced of their impending victory. Except for a black fish mingling amongst the group of monsters, yet not fitting in with them at all.

Sea creatures were generally larger than those that lived on land, due to the buoyancy of the sea reducing the burden of weight on the body.

And the monsters living in the sea were more powerful than ordinary marine fish, as well as several times larger. The octopus encircling Feng Ye had tentacles that stretched dozens of meters long, and its body was as large as an adult sperm whale.

This black fish stood out amongst the group of monsters, each one bigger than the other.

Not because it was slim.

This black fish was more like a whale than a fish. He didn’t have scales like fish do, just smooth, slick skin over a thick layer of fat.

This black fish had the size and appearance of a normal whale. Although it was unknown what type of whale it was, it did look similar to the creature people were familiar with.

Moreover, there was no fluctuation of spiritual energy within its body. It looked like an ordinary, innocent fish that had swum into the wrong set. 

However, the other monsters didn’t dare to get within a few meters of it, deliberately avoiding the area around the black fish. If a monster approached even accidentally, it would immediately retreat far away as soon as it noticed.

Of course, there was no fish other than Hao Chen who could instill such fear in monsters that were used to dominating the depths of the sea. 

This wasn’t his true form, but an incarnation formed from a piece of fan bone. This fan bone could transform into a crow on land, and a black whale in the sea.

Due to this, he was able to keep his body size within an inconspicuous range and sneakily blend into the group of monsters encroaching on Feng Ye.

Otherwise, if he actually transformed into his true self, this small floating island would likely be directly submerged beneath the resulting tsunami caused by his transformation into a Kun.

And Hao Chen didn’t want to reveal his identity so prematurely. His true form was so enormous that it would be nearly impossible not to see it, and he was more or less aware of this.

Taking all factors into consideration, using an incarnation to follow the monsters and observe was the best option. As for his human form, he was still floating far away in the sea with his eyes slightly closed, controlling the movements of the black fish with his spiritual consciousness. 

He saw Feng Ye become trapped unawares in a cage made of octopus tentacles, his fate undetermined.

The black fish floating quietly in the sea couldn’t help but wave its tail anxiously. He had said to “kill him without mercy,” but in fact, those were empty words.

It would be difficult to relieve the feeling of being “made a fool of” without saying a few harsh words. But the words had indeed been spoken, and his anger had subsided.

He didn’t want Feng Ye to die. There were so many mysteries surrounding this person, and he was so interesting. If he died like this, wouldn’t Hao Chen have to return to the frozen North Sea and sleep out of boredom?

But he did not withdraw his command. The strongest of these monsters was only at Nascent Soul stage, which Feng Ye should be able to handle. This was a good opportunity to test his strength.

He had been watching with this in mind, but unexpectedly, the cage formed by the octopus’s tentacles kept shrinking, but Feng Ye showed no sign of escaping.

The black fish’s heart couldn’t help but skip a beat. Could it be that he had misjudged Feng Ye’s strength? Or was this fellow unable to swim blindly in this dark sea, with no ability to fight back? 

If that was the case…..should he go and rescue him?

The body always reacted faster than the brain. Before he could come up with an answer, his tail had already swung twice and propelled him forward a few meters.

But before he could actually make a move, the seawater suddenly became turbulent.

The source of the turbulence was the octopus that had trapped Feng Ye. Its tentacles spread out again, and its furious voice was transmitted through its sea of consciousness to every monster present: “He got away!”

Got away? The black fish looked at the octopus’s tentacles in surprise. They were empty but for a few golden wisps that were eye-catching in the deep, dark sea.

This was an array that had triggered and was about to dissipate.

“A teleportation array.” Hao Chen recognized the function of this array. When Feng Ye was trapped by the tentacles, it had seemed that the situation couldn’t get any worse.

But inside that cage, he was also isolated from sight. In a short period of time, he had drawn a teleportation array and escaped from danger without anyone noticing.

After a brief moment of surprise, Hao Chen’s mood turned into joy. He had been right about this person.

But this was far from over. Hao Chen had come here with the intention of taking off Feng Ye’s mask, so how could Feng Ye escape so easily?

The speed of a teleportation array was fast, but its distance was very limited. He must still be nearby. Perhaps he had used some means to conceal his aura, so all of the monsters, including Hao Chen were unable to locate him.

Hao Chen told this to the octopus using his spiritual consciousness. Upon receiving its orders, the octopus immediately commanded the other monsters to search the sea cun by cun.

The calm seawater grew turbulent as monsters of all sizes shuttled out to search the sea.

The black fish was also observing his surroundings. He wasn’t like the other monsters, which were running around everywhere – he was more like a general sitting in the center of the army, overlooking the entire situation.

Where would Feng Ye have gone? Hao Chen thought as he felt the turbulent seawater all around him. The currents caused by the monsters’ movements were so numerous and chaotic that it was difficult to read them.

Suddenly, there was a slight ripple above him. Hao Chen didn’t take it seriously at first, thinking that a monster had happened to swim above him.

However, the ripples were getting closer and closer, only three meters away from him.

Which monster is bold enough to approach me? The black fish thought in amazement.

Before he could figure it out, the monster made an even bolder move.

It stood on the black fish’s back.

As the Lord of the North Sea, Hao Chen would not allow any creature to stand on his back, even if the black fish was merely an insignificant incarnation. But this time, contrary to his normal response, he didn’t throw that person off in a rage. Because that was not a monster, but Feng Ye under an invisibility array.

Hao Chen: “…..”

The fish’s dark face went slack, as if it had seen a ghost.

Feng Ye hadn’t gone elsewhere. He had come right to him.

Was this a case of destiny bringing people together, or a case of enemies meeting on a narrow road?

Actually, neither was true, because this wasn’t a coincidence.

Just as Hao Chen had thought, the distance of the teleportation array Feng Ye had drawn was limited, and it was impossible for him to directly escape the encirclement of this group of monsters.

But he didn’t have much time to waste here. Although he had told Fang Yang to buy time, Lu Chengye could take action at any moment, so he had to reach land as soon as possible.

He certainly didn’t want to fight this group of monsters head-on, as it would be too time-consuming. Thus, Feng Ye had come up with this idea. He would activate the invisibility array at the same time as the teleportation array and leave here quietly.

And the reason he approached Hao Chen was simply because this was the only area where no monsters were roaming. Everywhere else, monsters of all sizes were searching for traces of him.

Only here did the monsters refuse to even approach.

Therefore, Feng Ye inevitably encountered the black fish that Hao Chen had transformed into.

Feng Ye looked carefully at the black fish floating agreeably in the water under his feet, drifting with the current.

On the surface, this black fish truly looked like an ordinary whale, with no trace of spiritual power at all.

Such whales could be found everywhere in the vast ocean, and were not uncommon. The one under his feet also looked commonplace. 

But floating alone in such a sea while surrounded by monsters was the biggest abnormality. When things went against the norm, there must be a culprit. There had to be a problem with this black fish.

And even when he stepped on its back, it didn’t react at all, which once again confirmed Feng Ye’s conjecture.

Considering that the monsters dared not approach the black fish, it wasn’t difficult to infer that it was the culprit that had gathered the group of monsters.

Otherwise, how could it have been so quiet when Feng Ye came here, yet he was surrounded by so many monsters when he left?

The more Feng Ye thought about it, the more certain he became. His only point of confusion was that he had just arrived and there were no grudges between him and the fish, so why had it chosen to seek him out?

Wait. Feng Ye suddenly realized what the problem was. He had no grudges with the fish of the Floating Island Secret Realm, but the same could not be said for a certain seafood from the North Sea.

Feng Ye suddenly half-crouched beside the fish’s erect dorsal fin, soft, elastic skin under his feet.

He called out tentatively to the black fish: “Hao Chen?”

The skin that had been soft just now immediately tightened, and the tail that would occasionally wave in the water went still.

The black fish seemed to have fallen under a petrification spell, turning into a statue in an instant.

Feng Ye: “…..”

There was no answer, but his reaction said it all.

His eyelid twitched as he stared at the black fish under his feet. He had never thought that the sticky candy he thought he’d gotten rid of would return in such a way.

In a place beyond Feng Ye’s sight, a hint of struggle finally manifested on Hao Chen’s fish face. Feng Ye had yet to drop his disguise, but his own was the first to be seen through.

No! No way!

He couldn’t admit it like this!

So after a brief moment of stiffness, the originally docile and well-behaved black fish suddenly became violent.

He twisted his body vigorously, attempting to throw Feng Ye off his back.

Feng Ye quickly hugged the fish’s body and explained to Hao Chen, who was furious at his identity being exposed: “Listen to me first, I’m in a hurry…..”

Would a person who was shamed to anger listen to him?

Of course not.

The black fish had made up his mind: Not listening, not listening. He twisted his body even harder, rushing around in the sea.

Although the black fish was not slender, it swam surprisingly fast. Feng Ye used all of his limbs to cling tightly to the fish, but the skin with a thick underlayer of fat was so slippery that he had nothing to hold onto.

He was immediately thrown off by Hao Chen, and the commotion here was naturally not hidden from the eyes and ears of the other monsters.

They received orders from Hao Chen and swam over quickly, surrounding Feng Ye.

Hideous, terrifying tentacles blocked Feng Ye’s way again as a wide-open fish mouth filled with sharp teeth attacked him from behind.

He hadn’t escaped after all. Feng Ye looked at the group of monsters surrounding him, as well as the black fish hiding behind them with its tail wagging, and thought with some impatience, It seems this battle is inevitable.

On land, Fang Yang racked his brains for ways to buy time, as Feng Ye was occupied and unable to respond to him.

He once again interrupted Lu Chengye before he could take action: “You have a reason to kill me, but what about him?” As he spoke, he gestured with his eyes toward Cao Zirui behind him.

Lu Chengye subconsciously followed his gaze and answered: “It’s because…..” But just as he was about to say it, he remembered Xue Ren’s repeated warnings that he must not reveal his hand in this.

But was there anything that couldn’t be said to two people who were as good as dead? Lu Chengye didn’t speak this opinion out loud, because Xue Ren had forced him to take an oath, and if he revealed it, his meridians would be severed and his life would be forfeit.

And this had been dragging on for so long that he was a little impatient. If he could get rid of these two sooner, he would have more time to search for treasures. He couldn’t return empty-handed from this trip to the Floating Island Secret Realm, right?

So after his aborted sentence, Lu Chengye suddenly laughed, his smile filled with icy killing intent: “Ask the King of Hell!”

He immediately took an ancient wooden bow engraved with an unknown red totem from his storage bag. Then he placed the golden arrow on the bow and drew it back.

The bow had no string, but when the fingers were placed where the bowstring should be, the dim red totem flared brighter and brighter like burning charcoal.

As Lu Chengye’s fingers holding the tail of the golden arrow drew back, the totem blazed even more intensely, until it caught fire.

The raging fire was transmitted to the arrow through the stringless bow, and this magic weapon, which was supposed to be only earth-grade, immediately gained a terrifying power that far exceeded that of its peers.

Enormous, destructive spiritual power gathered on the arrow and spread in all directions.

The arrow had not yet left the bow, but Fang Yang was overwhelmed by its intimidating aura. His mind went blank as he stood there foolishly.

“Run!” Feng Ye grabbed the tentacle lashing toward him with one hand, raising his head to shout at Fang Yang three hundred meters away.

Fang Yang returned to his senses at this shout, and he realized he had broken into a cold sweat as he stared at the golden arrow.

Considering the destructive force of the golden arrow when it pierced the ground just now, he definitely wouldn’t be able to stand against it!

Lu Chengye’s bow was almost fully drawn, and the flames burned more and more fiercely. The arrow was about to leave its invisible string.

Fang Yang grabbed the hand of the petrified Cao Zirui and turned around to flee.

And the moment they turned around, the bow bent into a full moon, and the arrow was released.

The flames reappeared. Fang Yang turned back while running, and his dilated pupils reflected the arrow that had flown to within a meter of him in the blink of an eye.

Due to the close distance, the small arrow tip was magnified several times in his eyes, lighting up his dark pupils in orange and red. The youth’s slender body was about to be engulfed in raging, destructive fire.

His life was hanging by a thread.

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Chapter 47 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 49