by Tinalynge
“His Highness Shiu Kang, Second Prince of the Taiyang Kingdom. His Highness Shiu Ye, Third Prince of the Taiyang Kingdom,” The servant called out then bowed deeply to the banquet hall as the two fairly similar-looking men walked through the entrance. The two men were both black haired. Their hair was long, and it reached their waist and tied up high on their head. A massive golden ring inlaid with jewels was what kept their hair tied up. Their clothes were black with golden embroidery and elaborate patterns adorned their majestic belts. All the embroidery had an incredible amount of jewels inlaid in the fabric. Jewels were used as the eyes of the beasts that were depicted on the black cloaks. Looking at these two men, Hui Yue could see that they were without a doubt brothers.
Both seemed to be around twenty to twenty-four years of age, and their features no longer had a childish air about them that both Hui Yue and Cai Jie still had. Their demeanor was very aristocratic clearly they were both used to be treated with a certain degree of respect. Looking at these two brothers, although they were older and younger brothers, they looked to be around the same age. This was clearly the result from them training incredibly hard to reach the King rank as soon as possible, reaching a level where age had little to no effect on them. Looking at Hui Yue and Cai Jie and seeing their youthful appearances, everyone would be able to tell that they had reached the rank of King far earlier than the two princes, and even faster than the third prince. The prince who was acknowledged to be the genius of the royal family.
“Well, time to go greet the royal family,” Hui Yue mumbled to himself as he started moving towards the two of royal blood who were both looking over the many guests at the banquet. Neither of them seemed impressed by what they saw. “Your highnesses, I would never have dared to believe that such esteemed personages such as yourselves would grace me with your presence!” Hui Yue said while bowing deeply to the two princes. His heart was beating rapidly as his eyes were stuck to Shiu Ye. Deep inside Hui Yue’s anger was raging but using the blue cloud he was strangled it and managed to keep it down. He ensured that no matter how much he wished to kill the prince right now he restrained himself. He kept the anger on the inside locked away while being polite on the outside. He was polite, friendly, and supportive; the perfect subject to such esteemed princes.
Both of the princes seemed pleased with the words spoken by Hui Yue and many nobles within the banquet hall nodded in approval. The royal family were after all the leaders of all nobles, and showing the royal family respect meant one respected all the nobles present. There was, however, one person in the room who was seemingly not pleased. While he wasn’t happy, you couldn’t say he was mad either, just thoughtful. The City Lord was seated at the table with food on his plate and a glass in his hand. His fingers were slowly rolling the wine in his hand, and his eyes were like a fathomless deep pit while a small smile could be seen on his face. But past his fake smile, he was clearly frowning. Hui Yue noticed his behavior and his smile increased further as he walked towards the two princes. Looking at the princes, it was obvious that they were not friendly towards one another. They were looking anywhere but at each other, and there was a distance between the two of them. They were each scanning the banquet hall, one after another.
“Please enjoy your time at my mansion. I hope that some of the delicacies will match your taste. Please mingle with the crowd and should you have anything to complain about please do not hesitate to voice your concerns. The Ma Family will do anything in their ability to right the wrongs.” Having invited them like this, the two princes nodded absentmindedly as they each headed towards two groups of nobles, groups belonging to their own supporters. Although they came late, they were more than curious to hear what had transpired before they arrived, and the only men they truly trusted were the ones who had sworn their allegiance with a blood oath. Only their pillars of support would suffice.
Seeing their highnesses do this, Hui Yue was pleased with how he had personally introduced himself to everyone who had shown up at the banquet. Looking around, Hui Yue was however confused as to why Zhan Weisheng had not shown up. He highly doubted that the merchant would arrive now, although he was of high standing he was not a noble and appearing after the royal family meant that he saw himself more important than them.
“I better visit him tomorrow,” Hui Yue mumbled to himself as he slowly inched closer to the table where he saw the City Lord standing alone. He was still clearly deep in thought, and no one had dared talk to him now to see what exactly his thoughts were.
“Was it that shocking?” Hui Yue asked with a quiet voice as he stood right behind the City Lord. His voice dragged the thoughtful man from his trance and looking happy to see Hui Yue his previous frown completely vanished, “I don’t know what you mean,” He said, and Hui Yue could not help but chuckle slightly. “It seemed like you were deep in thought, was something wrong?” He continued as he and the City Lord slowly moved away from the table towards the doors leading to the park behind the mansion. The park was lit with torches throughout the area so guests could use the park to sober up before continuing the banquet. Hui Yue headed outside because he wished to have a quiet conversation with the City Lord without allowing for others to listen in on what he had to say. This conversation could in many ways send Hui Yue to jail, but the young man was willing to gamble; he was certain that even if he ended up in jail, he would have a way out.
As they reached the park, Hui Yue walked down a trail that led away from the well-lit grounds. He was curious if the City Lord wished to follow him but his doubt was quickly erased as the burly man followed him with no signs of thinking about his decision. Walking for some time, the two reached an area where no others would arrive, not even by mistake. “We walked this far. I am sure you have something important to say,” the City Lord sighed as he saw Hui Yue turn around towards him. His white teeth were shining in the moonlight which cascaded down upon them, and Hui Yue could not help but use the blue cloud to calm himself. His entire body was alert, ready to defend himself should the conversation not go as planned. “I am sure that you and Zhan Weisheng are quite unhappy with me taking Gao Yan and the Ma family away from your,” Hui Yue started and the City Lord nodded his head impatiently. Although this was important information it was something that anyone would know, it was not something he needed to comment on. “I just need you to know that I have no interest to go against either you or Zhan Weisheng.” Hui Yue continued, and now the City Lord raised an eyebrow. He was suddenly curious about what the young man had to say, “I am sure you are aware that Deng Wu and Wang Ju Long are both my friends. They are not only my pillars of support; they are my martial brother and sister. Now, I am certain that you are aware of what happened to my dear friends and their family. So tell me, what do you think I want? Fighting the two of you is pointless to me when I could be fighting someone who seems to be troubling both of us, don’t you agree?”
Chapter 314 - Night Time Discussions
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Chapter 314: Night Time Discussions
Hui Yue said nothing as he observed every change on the City Lord’s face. The relationship between him and the City Lord was currently not the best. If anything, it should have been very negatively impacted because the Ma family left Zhan Weisheng’s faction, the supportive faction of the City Lord, but even so, Hui Yue was willing to take the gamble. His was listening attentively, and his eyes shone in the dark night as he was more and more nervous to hear his reply.
The reason Hui Yue dared speak like this to the City Lord was partly because of what he heard about this older man from Gao Yan, but also because he could not afford to be an enemy of the City Lord. Becoming his enemy was not an option.
A harrumph could be heard as the City Lord shifted his weight from one foot to another. “Just call your guards forward, there is no reason for them to stay hidden,” The City Lord said with a sigh, and moments after Cai Jie and Deng Wu appeared from the shadows both of them looking uncaring as no hatred or smiles could be seen on
their faces. Both of them went to Hui Yue’s side, Deng Wu standing a step behind him on the right side while Cai Jie stood on the left side.
The City Lord looked at the three different looking men in front of him, and he felt a shiver run down his spine. He was an Emperor, an exalted expert, and he was respected greatly within Muchuan City, but right now he was standing in front of these three youngsters and for some reason, he had the feeling that he would not be able to defeat these three. It felt as if there was danger lurking beneath the young faces in front of him.
“Please don’t mind my friends,” Hui Yue said, seemingly not affected that his friends had been discovered. “There are more than a few cultivators who would love to get rid of me,” He continued with an apologetic expression on his face and a shake of his head. “I need to stay vigilant no matter where I go, so the three of us usually move together,” He explained not lying, but not saying the whole truth. He was perfectly well aware that he was not looked at with a welcoming gaze by most people, but the reason he had his two friends with him this time was not completely for safety. Although he hoped the City Lord would not suddenly attacking him, it was hard to say for sure what he would do. If the City Lord were to attack then he would have support; people who would ensure that the City Lord would definitely not make it back to the party.
“Of course,” The City Lord grinned. “It makes perfect sense for you to bring support, but who says that I came alone?” The City Lord continued and with a flick of his hand, three experts appeared from the shadows; all three donning black clothes and masks. Looking at these three figures Hui Yue could not control his urge to laugh and laughter escaped his lips, brightening up the tense atmosphere. The reason he laughed was not that he did not respect these black clothed men, but because they reminded him of ninjas. Ninjas were something he had dreamt about being as a kid, and he had read both fiction and facts about ninjas. When he was young, he had read a whole series of ninja stories.
Waving his hand, Hui Yue tried stopping the laughter, and after a few moments, he finally got control over himself once more. His behavior greatly shocked the City Lord and his followers, even Cai Jie and Deng Wu had frowns on their faces uncertain why the usually so composed Hui Yue started laughing when seeing the guards.
“I am not here to threaten you,” Hui Yue said as he once more controlled himself. “If I wished to threaten you then I would not have needed to contact you in the first place. I have no intention of fighting with Zhan Weisheng either. I don’t want your followers; however, I am going to do everything I can to gain a following of nobles. I will especially be going after nobles supporting the third prince.”
The City Lord was quiet for some time while considering what to say. His dark eyes were locked on Hui Yue’s blue eyes in a firm gaze as he tried to find even the smallest hint of uncertainty or deception, a sign that the person in front of him was lying. But no matter how much he looked, he found nothing but sincerity. Grumbling for some time, the City Lord finally sighed deeply and looked around himself. “I understand where you are coming from,” He said as sweat appeared on his forehead. “Personally, my faction is not supporting the one you spoke of and our values are quite different; while he fights for the noble’s rights and their chances to gain exclusive rights over everything including taxes, I want the nobles to have less power and allow the merchants and citizens to have more freedom.”
“I will not have any part of what you are going to do,” The City Lord continued. “But I can promise you that my faction will not become a problem for you unless you trouble me, my faction, or perhaps Zhan Weisheng.”
Hui Yue nodded gratefully, but deep within he was uncertain whether or not he could trust the City Lord though even still he thought the conversation was worth it. Looking at the City Lord, Hui Yue nodded his head. “If you warn the third prince then don’t worry we will collect our debt from you,” He said with a polite and friendly expression. The expression of an angel but the words spoken were as cold as the deepest winter night.
The City Lord could not explain why felt as terrified as he did, and he knew it was fully caused by his instincts. Something told him that getting into a fight against these three even with his three protectors, would likely not end well for him. A man of his strength and age knew when to listen to his instincts and when to ignore them, and right now, he would definitely heed them.
“Well let me sum up why I asked you here,” Hui Yue said with a smile on his face while stepping closer to the City Lord, “I do not wish to fight you, nor Zhan Weisheng. In return for you guys promising not to interfere with me and what I do. I will make sure that the prince who usually stands in the way of your ideals won’t be causing trouble for you in the future, and even better, I promise to vanish and take my faction with me when I do so.” Hui Yue promised. His words causing the City Lord to look a little dissatisfied but the older man knew very well that this was the best option for him. Within Muchuan City the factions had been friendly with one another ever since the last coronation ceremony, but now that the King was getting older, and he wished to hand the kingdom to one of his sons, the relationships in the capital had recently changed. Now it was changing even more with Hui Yue’s arrival. Sighing deeply, the City Lord knew that he had no other option than to nod and accept what had been decided which he did. Afterward, he turned around and slowly returned to the mansion.
Hui Yue stayed behind for some time waiting for the City Lord to completely vanish before he looked at the two friends by his side. “So what did you think?” He asked, “Do you think we will be able to trust him?”
“If he knows what is best for him then he will make sure to keep his mouth quiet and keep the two factions out of our way ensuring we have the space we need.” Cai Jie answered as his golden eyes gazed at the darkness in front of them which had swallowed up the City Lords moments before.
The three young men slowly made their way back to the banquet, and they were astonished to see that all the guests were still there, entertained by the company. The City Lord was back at the banquet table eating one delicacy after another. Hui Yue knew he was stressed, but no one seemed to notice as he was carrying on like usual.
Hui Yue, Cai Jie, and Deng Wu looked around only to find that Xu Piao was busy chatting with some guests with Ma Kong. Hui Yue had already greeted everyone, and he knew no one personally, so he found a corner where he and his friends stood and started to discuss anything from the guests to the faction and plans for the future. From time to time nobles and merchants would come and exchange a few words with Hui Yue and his friends. They would talk for a few minutes before they rotated to other groups and chatted with other guests. Hui Yue found that all the guests were seemingly positive towards him, but he knew better than to believe this. Just as the night was about to end the two princes made their way to Hui Yue, both had the most charming smiles and their eyes were glistening with excitement.
“Young man, you and your followers are astonishing cultivators! To have reached the King rank at such a young age, I am thoroughly impressed!” The speaker was the third prince and Hui Yue smiled politely in return, “My talent is nothing when compared to the genius of the royal family. I just happened to get lucky and gain some insights during my adventurers in the outside world. Had your highness done the same, I am certain that your accomplishments would have been impossible to beat,” Hui Yue said politely and the words spoken caused the third prince to smile even wider while the expression on the second prince turned slightly sour.
“It is a great honor to be blessed with your highnesses during my humble banquet,” Hui Yue continued as he bowed deeply to both princes, and the second prince quickly let go of the dissatisfaction in his eyes. “We have heard about you and your accomplishments in the Siban empire.” The second prince suddenly said, and his words caused almost everyone within the banquet hall to quiet down. All of them listening to what was being said while pretending not to listen. Hui Yue almost snorted at their obviousness, but he
stopped himself in time as he looked at the second prince who was speaking. “We were warned about the beast army and told that it was likely to attack our Taiyang Kingdom. Can you perhaps inform me why you chose to attack the Siban Empire instead of our kingdom?”
Hui Yue was slightly surprised at the directness of the question from the second prince. “It is simple your highness,” Hui Yue answered straightforwardly. “I did not want the beasts to attack my country of birth,” He continued, and his words caused a smile to appear on the second prince’s lips. The third prince, on the other hand, was clearly contemplating something. His brows frowned, and his eyes sharpened as he observed the young man in front of him.
“You are not half beast are you?” He suddenly asked, and in the banquet hall suddenly a plate was dropped on the floor loudly breaking apart. The sound was so loud that it proved just how quiet the entire banquet hall had just become. Everyone held their breath in surprise and shock. This young man was clearly white-haired; obviously, he was not a normal human yet no one dared question the genius of the royal family.
Chapter 315 - Jesting
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