The Third Imperial Prince had reserved a side courtyard, and many guests had already arrived by now. When they looked at Ling Han, curiosity arose on all their faces as they all began to guess at his background. He was someone that the Third Imperial Prince not only sent out Miss Zi Yan to receive, but even the Third Imperial Prince would personally step out to receive.
“Come, come, come. Let me introduce to all of you. This is Ling Han, Brother Ling, a young friend of Fu Yuan Sheng, Grandmaster Fu, and also someone on very friendly terms with Wu Song Lin, Grandmaster Wu.”
…When he found out that Ling Han was actually a representative of Wu Song Lin, he really got a big shock. Rain Country only had two Black Grade high level alchemists and they were both very close with Ling Han. Thus, the Third Imperial Prince further dared not slight Ling Han.
“Hiss,” the others all gasped in shock. A young friend, how could this term be so freely used?
Chapter 144
Translator: _Dark_Angel_ Editor: Kurisu
Ling Han could have become one of the trump cards in the Third Imperial Prince’s hand, but why was he so quickly playing this card?
That was because it was now the most important period of the competition for the throne. The guests he had invited tonight were all the outstanding youths of various middle-class clans of the Imperial City. If they were to declare their loyalty towards him, that would be equivalent to getting the approval of their clans.
Don’t underestimate these clans. A few hundred middle-class clans united together could have quite a bit of influence. Most importantly, the Eight Great Clans were much too outstanding. Whichever Imperial Prince was crowned as Emperor, they were still the Eight Great Clans, neither advancing nor degrading. On the other hand, every Rain Emperor would still have to play well the role of mediator to maintain the peace between the Eight Great Clans. This was the responsibility of their reign.
As a result, it was impossible to pull any of the Eight Great Clans into his camp. Thus, the Third Imperial Prince could only place his focus on the middle-class clans. Why were there only thirty-odd people tonight? That was because the other middle-class clans have already been divided between his camp, the Eldest Imperial Prince, and the Seventh Imperial Prince. The only ones left were these clans that had still not yet decided whom to support, and were waiting for the best offer.
Lastly, whichever Imperial Prince ascended to the throne, the clans that had supported the wrong camp would definitely be pushed aside by the other clans. It wouldn’t even be impossible for them to be forced out of the Imperial City in secret.
When they heard that Ling Han actually had two Black Grade high level Grandmaster alchemists behind him, everyone could not help but reveal expressions of astonishment.
That was too awesome, wasn’t it?
However, due to the outstanding status of alchemists, they usually would not interfere in any power struggle on their own initiative. Now, looking at the very friendly relationship between Ling Han and the Third Imperial Prince, did that mean that the Third Imperial Prince had gained the support of these two ultimate Grandmaster Alchemists?
Heavens, that would be desperately serious. With the support of these two awesome bosses behind him, even if the current Rain Emperor already had a candidate in mind for the position of his heir, he would probably have to reconsider his decision so as to avoid these two ultimate Grandmaster Alchemists not cooperating and making things difficult for the Imperial Family when the new Emperor was crowned.
In the competition for the imperial throne, the Third Imperial Prince had a slightly higher chance to emerge victorious in the first place, and now, all of a sudden, two great bosses emerged to support him… he was practically guaranteed to win.
With such thoughts, these young people instantly became very passionate, and humbled themselves to the lowest extent.
At first, although they were in the position of subjects, there was still an air of pride in their bones because he was the one who wanted to pull them into his camp! But things were different now. Now that they knew the Third Imperial Prince’s “trump card”, these people took the initiative to become closer with him.
They were both Black Grade high level alchemists. If the two of them simply threw out any kind of alchemical medicine, it would be enough for them to go crazy over.
When the Third Imperial Prince saw this scene, a smile turned up the corners of his lips. This was exactly what he wanted to see. He could not wait to play this card, because the current Rain Emperor had the intention to abdicate from his throne to put all his focus on his studies of martial arts. At most within five years’ time, the Emperor wanted to have his heir inherit the throne, so the Third Imperial Prince had to make the most of his time.
“Hahahaha, let us all drink!” the Third Imperial Prince raised his wine cup and instantly, everyone else raised theirs as well. When the Third Imperial Prince drained his cup, the others would naturally not dare to leave wine in their own cups, and drained theirs as well. After the Third Imperial Prince sat, they all returned to their seats.
The Third Imperial Prince was now fully content with his achievements. This place was only the Cherishing Flower Pavilion, but in the near future, in the imperial court, there would be even more high-ranking persons paying him respect and subjecting to his rule.
The female attendants began to replenish the wine in everyone’s cups. Why was the Cherishing Flower Pavilion so expensive? That was because these female attendants were not only astonishingly beautiful, but had very elegant bearing. Some of them were even in Element Gathering Tier, and for men to have these female attendants to accompany them in drinking fulfilled men’s natural inherent desire to conquer.
Ling Han was the brightest star tonight. He had a beauty at either side accompanying him to drink, and both were in Element Gathering Tier. One had to know that both these beauties were young women in their twenties, yet they had already stepped into Element Gathering Tier. They were outstandingly talented in the first place, but at the same time, they also needed a large amount of resources to be able to reach this level.
These two women have both undergone strict training, and they spoke very gently and moved very lightly and elegantly. What was even more remarkable was that they were very good at observing the facial expressions and movements of others. Ling Han needed only to cast a look, and they would know which dish Ling Han wanted to sample, and immediately, they would take the initiative to deliver a bite-sized portion of the said dish into Ling Han’s mouth.
Such a rapturous array was definitely enough to cause any young man to lose all composure, and easily fall into such a gentle trap. However, what kind of mental strength did Ling Han have? As the saying goes, he could pass into a field of flowers, yet not one leaf would cling to his figure. His heart would not be disturbed by any woman, no matter how beautiful she was.
He did not maintain any reservations either, and only peacefully enjoyed the service of these two women. Yet his eyes remained clear, and there was no sign of ***** on his face, causing the Third Imperial Prince, who had kept one eye on him, to look even higher upon him. The Third Imperial Prince even had the delusion that the person he was looking at was not a youth in his teens, but an ultimate warrior who had experienced multiple hardships and witnessed countless great spectacles.
Ling Han had the support of the two great bosses of alchemy behind him, so naturally he became someone who everyone wanted to gain the favor of. However, Ling Han seemed to have no intention to pay too much attention to these people. He would only occasionally speak with the Third Imperial Prince, Li Hao, and Zhu Xue Yi. The rest of the time, he would simply concentrate on enjoying his meal.
This was very normal. In his last life, he was the one and only Alchemy Emperor, so how could he have the patience and mood to deal with these little brats who thought that they were so extraordinary?
None of the others thought that there was anything strange about the proud way that Ling Han was acting,
because alchemists were indeed such proud people in the first place. If Ling Han did not show such prideful behaviour, they would think that it was odd instead.
When they saw that Ling Han was not so easily approachable, they naturally turned their attention to Li Hao and Zhu Xue Yi. They all earnestly sought the company of these two, causing Li Hao and Zhu Xue Yi to feel overwhelmed.
Just now, a mere young master from a minor clan would dare to insult and humiliate them, yet now, there were so many young masters from middle-class clans all fighting to befriend them! The two of them could not help but look at Ling Han with gratitude. All of this was because of Ling Han.
The Third Imperial Prince saw that Ling Han only ate and drank, and was not like the others who took the opportunity to paw at the female attendants beside them, and asked, “Brother Ling, are you not satisfied with these two beauties?”
When they heard these words, these two beauties instantly revealed resentful expressions, their lovely appearances very moving. Even if one knew very well that they were only playing along, one could not help but feel tender towards them.
“Haha, if Brother Ling thinks they are not tender enough, then why not have Zi Yan accompany you?” the Third Imperial Prince asked suddenly.
Zi Yan’s face instantly changed, and her body shook slightly. Her eyes were filled with resentment. She was not putting on a show, but really feeling heartbroken. She had thought that she had a high place in the Third Imperial Prince’s heart, but never thought that she was still only a card that he could play.
Li Hao and Zhu Xue Yi’s hearts both sped up at this. Previously, Zi Yan had been so grand and impressive in front of them, yet now, she would still have to accompany Ling Han to drink. This gap was really too big for them to accept.
Ling Han smiled, and asked, “Are you willing, Miss Zi Yan?”
Zi Yan’s figure shook again, but she answered, “Zi Yan is willing.”
Yet Ling Han shook his head, and said, “A gentleman will not take someone else’s favorite. Miss Zi Yan belongs to the Third Imperial Prince, so it’s best if you stay by the Third Imperial Prince’s side!”
Zi Yan instantly looked grateful at this. She would naturally not dare to disobey the Third Imperial Prince’s command, but if she was able to escape from this calamity, her impression of Ling Han improved greatly. However, she also gained a new understanding of the Third Imperial Prince.
In view of the throne, anyone would only be the pawns that he could use, and if she continued to follow at his heels so blindly, what kind of ending awaited her?
She was obviously at a loss.
“Hahahaha, Third Imperial Prince, I have come late. May I enter?” it was at this moment that a clear voice was heard from outside, and this voice had a very strong air to it.
The Third Imperial Prince’s expression changed slightly, and exclaimed, “Feng Yan!”
Chapter 145
Translator: _Dark_Angel_ Editor: Kurisu
Ling Han has heard of the name ‘Feng Yan’ many times.
When he was at Seven Winds Mountains and encountered Feng Luo, that was the first time he had heard of Feng Yan, and the latter was very much revered by Li Hao and the others. After that, during the Da Yuan Tournament, the name Feng Yan was frequently mentioned as well. That was the name of a genius who could make geniuses like Qi Yong Ye, Li Dong Yue, and the others pale in comparison.
After he had arrived at Hu Yang Academy, he found out that this person’s ability qualified him to rank within the top ten strongest True Disciples, and may even be qualified to challenge the only three Core Disciples of the Academy.
Because of Feng Luo, there was no way he would be able to avoid coming into conflict with Feng Yan.
And tonight, they had finally met.
“Haha, no matter what time Brother Feng is here, I will definitely come to receive you,” the Third Imperial Prince said in a loud voice, laughing.
“Xiu,” a figure suddenly shot into the side courtyard. The figure was a tall, slender young man with clearly shaped eyebrows and bright eyes. He had a head of thick, black locks, and it seemed as if there was a holy light enveloping his entire body, emanating a very pale light that would cause anyone who saw him to be enchanted by him.
Ling Han’s eyes suddenly narrowed. Seventh layer of Gushing Spring Tier!
Before the New Year, wasn’t this man only in the third layer of Gushing Spring Tier? How could it be that he had suddenly broken through four whole layers in a mere two months’ time? This was even more awesome than Ling Han himself!
This guy must have gotten some kind of colossal fateful encounter. Otherwise, who would be able to surpass Ling Han with the perfect combination of his alchemical pills to support his cultivation, his Heaven Grade Spirit Base, and Heaven Grade cultivation techniques in terms of cultivation speed ?
Feng Yan, a man that was widely known among the young generation of Rain Country, and someone that no one dared to underestimate. This man had a high chance to enter into Spiritual Pedestal Tier one day and become one of the ultimate warriors of Rain Country.
“Brother Feng!” the Third Imperial Prince stood up and raised his clasped hands in Feng Yan’s direction. Though he had a higher cultivation level than Ling Han, he did not have the divine sense that Ling Han had retained from his last life as an ultimate warrior of Heaven Tier. Additionally, he was quite far away from Feng Yan, and so could not identify the latter’s cultivation level. Moreover, who would observe another’s cultivation level for no reason?
“Your Imperial Highness!” Feng Yan too raised his clasped hands, and swept his eyes over all those present, then said, “I have come so boldly here tonight because firstly, I wish to greet Your Imperial Highness, and secondly, I heard that the person who framed my younger brother and almost caused him to be expelled from the Academy is also present here tonight.”
As he spoke his last words, his gaze stopped and focused on Ling Han. Obviously, he had recognized Ling Han.
The Third Imperial Prince was stunned at first, before a raging fire was lit inside his heart.
Feng Yan was obviously here to seek vengeance. But, the problem now was that this was a banquet that he was hosting, and Feng Yan actually came to make trouble! How much face was Feng Yan not giving him? Indeed, he looked very highly upon Feng Yan, but the latter was still a mere martial artist at the end of the day. Honestly speaking, Feng Yan’s cultivation level was lower than his own, and what he looked highly upon was Feng Yan’s future potential to become stronger.
In terms of background, the Feng Clan only had martial artists of Gushing Spring Tier, and in terms of personal ability, Feng Yan was only in the third layer of Gushing Spring Tier. What right did Feng Yan have not to give him any face at all?
In the heart of the Third Imperial Prince, Ling Han who had two major bosses of alchemy behind him was obviously far more important than Feng Yan, so he decided to fully support Ling Han without any hesitation. He said, “Brother Feng, I was also present during that incident, and I can definitely guarantee that it was your brother who intended to frame Ling Han.”
Yet Ling Han frowned, because he heard Feng Yan’s words—’almost caused him to be expelled from the Academy’. So, that meant that Feng Luo was still currently at the Academy?
What was going on?
He wanted to deal with an old pervert, yet encountered trouble. Now, he wanted to kick Feng Luo out of the Academy, and here comes Feng Yan, who used some kind of unknown means to pull Feng Luo back in.
“Heng, the Academy has already investigated that it was the sole responsibility of Wei He Le. It was he who had stolen the badge that I lent to Feng Luo. Wei He Le has had a previous conflict with Ling Han, and so framed my brother,” Feng Yan said darkly.
F***, how could he be so shameless?
Everything was obviously planned by Feng Luo, yet why had he suddenly become the victim according to his brother? Right or wrong were so easily overturned by Feng Yan?
Yet L
ing Han was not the slightest bit angered. History was always written by the victors, and in this world, the real authority and valid argument was decided by the strength of one’s fists. What he did not understand was how could Feng Yan be so fearless when he was only in the seventh layer of Gushing Spring Tier.
One had to know that even if Feng Yan stepped into Spiritual Ocean Tier, he was still a subject of Rain Country, and had not yet reached the level where he could break away from imperial authority—this would at least require Spiritual Pedestal Tier. And if one was in Flower Blossoming Tier, that was an existence that would stand out over all others.
Feng Yan should definitely not be as idiotic as this.
The Third Imperial Prince too never thought that Feng Yan would actually dare oppose him like this. The thoughts in his head whirred quickly. Could it be that Feng Yan had sought refuge from his Eldest Brother or his Seventh Brother, and that was why he did not fear him at all? But no matter how it was, a mere subject actually dared to talk back to him publicly. This was a challenge to his authority, and something he would not tolerate.
Alchemy Emperor of the Divine Dao c1-1294 Page 86