Chapter 73: Probing
Lu Yan seemed to be easy to talk to, which surprised Zhao Yuxi. He was just testing him casually, but he didn't expect Lu Yan to be willing to change.
Zhao Yuxi was delighted and bowed with a smile: "Prince Fengling is indeed magnanimous. If you are really willing to give up my love, I will definitely not let you suffer any loss. For this visit, Wuyun Country has specially prepared generous gifts, including luxury cars, beauties, jade and rare treasures. As long as I have them, you can choose whatever you like."
Lu Yan sneered, raised his chin slightly, and showed his arrogance: "Xianling is the common ruler of the twelve continents. I have seen all kinds of rare treasures. If Prince Yuxi wants to use these to exchange for my beauty, isn't it too stingy?"
Zhao Yuxi thought that the King of Fengling was indeed a fool as the rumors said, so he asked in a good temper, "Then what does Your Highness want?"
Lu Yan pretended to think for a moment: "I don't want ordinary things. If you want to give me something, give me something that is rare... Ah, I heard that your Wu Yun's swordsmanship is very agile and elegant, but I have never seen it with my own eyes. Why don't you exchange it with the sword manual?"
Zhao Yuxi's face changed slightly when he heard this. He didn't expect Lu Yan to be so bold as to ask for their traditional swordsmanship.
The Wannian Hall was brightly lit, like a fairyland. Lu Yan raised his eyes slightly, also like a fairy, but with a bit of mischief. Almost everyone was waiting for Zhao Yuxi's reaction. If he refused, it would seem that what he said just now was too false, but if he agreed, it was absolutely impossible, for fear that King Wu Yun would peel off his skin when he returned.
After a long while, Zhao Yuxi only asked one question: "If I exchange the sword manual for yours, will Your Highness really agree?"
Lu Yan's smile deepened, making people feel that he was particularly generous, but also particularly scumbag: "Yes, of course I will. Don't even mention changing one, I can give you both of them."
Zhao Yuxi nodded: "I remember what King Fengling said."
He was a smart man. He neither said he would change nor said he would not change. Instead, he asked an ambiguous question and then politely left. He was really a slippery person like a loach.
Zhao Yuzhang's face was no longer ugly, but pale. Zhao Yuxi had always been at odds with him when they were in Wuyun Kingdom. He was once a strong candidate for the position of crown prince, but Shang Junnian was more skilled at that time and pushed himself to be the crown prince. If Lu Yan really replaced them both, I'm afraid... silencing would be the least of their worries.
After Prince Yuxi walked away, Zhao Yuzhang looked at Lu Yan anxiously: "Aren't you the dignified Prince Fengling? You have seen all kinds of rare treasures, but you are also interested in a book of broken swords? You give away your male favorite so casually. Aren't you afraid that others will laugh at your incompetence?"
Unfortunately, Lu Yan was not easily provoked: "Male pet? You have never let me sleep with you, so what kind of male pet are you? You stay in my house all day long, eating and drinking for free and not working, and you want to eat seven big meat buns for one meal, so just send me away!"
Zhao Yuzhang choked with anger: "You!"
Zhao Yuzhang was regretting why he was always so cold and stern towards Lu Yan. Now he couldn't even say a soft word when he wanted to ask him to save him. He lowered his voice and said, "If you...if you really want to send me away, just send me away and don't touch Jun Nian."
Lu Yan thought he was overthinking and said with a half-smile, "Even if you want to be sent away, your brother may not be willing to exchange you."
Gongsun Wuyou was quite loyal. He sat diagonally behind him and mustered up the courage to tug at Lu Yan's sleeve: "Feng... King Fengling..."
Lu Yan raised his eyebrows and turned around: "What?"
Gongsun Wuyou stuttered, "If you...if you want treasures, we have plenty of them in Tianshui. I'll go ask Master Xuan for them later. Can you please not exchange Brother Junnian and Brother Yuzhang?"
Lu Yan smiled and said, "Why? Wouldn't it be better if they go back instead? Then the two of them can go back to Wuyun."
Gongsun Wuyou said, "Of course it's bad. Wu Yun has already appointed a new crown prince. Brother Yuzhang is in an awkward position now. That Zhao Yuxi doesn't look like a good person. He would rather Brother Yuzhang not go back. How could he be so kind as to replace him? I'm afraid he wants to harm him secretly."
Who said Gongsun Wuyou was stupid? This guy sees things clearly. It’s true that there are no stupid people coming from the royal family.
Lu Yan said in a neutral tone, "That depends on how many treasures your Xuan Guoshi can bring."
The seats opposite were occupied by envoys from various countries, including Wuyun Crown Prince Zhao Yuxi, Dongli Prince Liu Tanyan, and Tianshui Imperial Master Xuan Hong. As they toasted each other, they all looked at Lu Yan sitting opposite them.
Born with a smiling face and unrestrained manner, he was born with a good appearance and was raised by a spoiled child. When they had traveled thousands of miles to send the prince as a hostage, they had expected to suffer some hardships, but they had never expected that the immortals were so powerful that they would humiliate them so much and send their prince to King Fengling as a male concubine!
Prince Liu and Master Xuan's faces were extremely ugly, and they felt a lump in their chests and almost crushed the wine glasses.
Lu Yan took a grape from the tray in front of him and handed it to Shang Junnian. The green color and the white fingertips were in sharp contrast: "Try it, it's quite sweet."
Shang Junnian had been silent since Zhao Yuxi started talking. He took the grapes and absentmindedly put them into his mouth. He frowned because of the sour taste and suddenly heard a low, muffled laugh in his ears.
"There are no grapes at this time of year. I don't know where they got them from. They're probably not sweet. Isn't that stupid?"
Lu Yan casually pulled out a handkerchief and put it to Shang Junnian's mouth: "Spit it out."
Shang Junnian didn't spit it out. He frowned and swallowed the sour fruit pulp: "No problem."
Lu Yan asked in a low voice: "When Zhao Yuxi came over just now, you didn't say a word. Aren't you afraid that I will really change your sword manual?"
Shang Junnian has always known that Lu Yan wanted the sword manual, not only to save the lives of the three protons, but also for the future of the immortal spirit. He quietly clenched his hands on his knees, and he could not deny that he hesitated for a moment, worried that Lu Yan would replace him.
"I know you want the sword manual,"
Shang Junnian spoke in a low voice, with a sharp look in his eyes.
"If you want it, I will find a way to get it for you."
In the end, he did not answer Lu Yan's question directly. Shang Junnian had been let down too many times in his life, and each time he had almost lost his life, which led to him not wanting to think deeply about Lu Yan's final decision.
Then the best way is to let Lu Yan not have to make a choice and he should take the initiative to take it for the other party.
"You still don't believe me."
Lu Yan held his hand under the table, and then he found that Shang Junnian's palms were full of blood marks from his fingertips. He rubbed his palms for him, and chuckled in the sound of silk and bamboo in the hall:
"Wu Yun's swordsmanship is not that valuable."
He was too lazy to even exchange for Zhao Yuzhang, so how could he possibly exchange for Shang Junnian with just a set of the Goddess Sword Technique?
As the night deepened, the palace maid had already replaced the burned-out candles. Suddenly, a long chant was heard from outside the palace, echoing in the magnificent Wannian Palace, sounding majestic and resounding:
"The Emperor has arrived——!"
Instantly, the sound of stringed instruments stopped, and everyone straightened their clothes, stood up, and knelt on both sides to pay homage. The sound of cheers echoed through the sky, welcoming the monarch who had unified the twelve continents:
"Your Highness, I bow to you! Long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor, long, long live the Emperor!"
Lu Yan was also in the crowd. He quietly raised his head and saw the emperor wearing a red court robe with black edges and golden dragon patterns, and a crown on his head. Behind the pearl curtain were a pair of stern eyes that no one dared to look directly at. His voice was low and murderous: "All of you, please stand up."
The Emperor spoke and sat down on the high seat. Seeing this, everyone stood up and returned to their seats. One after another, they toasted and congratulated the Emperor, and presented the rare treasures, cloth, silver and grain brought from their fiefdoms. Among them, the offering from Tianshui was the most generous.
Master Xuan tilted his head to look at his side, secretly exchanging glances with Prince Liu. It was unknown what tacit understanding they had reached. In the end, he took the initiative to leave the table, stood in the middle and saluted the emperor: "Master Xuan Hong of Tianshui pays respect to the emperor. This time, I am grateful to the emperor for not giving up and sending me as an envoy to the immortal spirit. It is indeed a great country with great style and dignity. It shows how wise the emperor is."
Who wouldn't say nice things? The Emperor obviously didn't take it to heart. He raised his wine glass and saluted Xuan Hong from a distance: "Master Xuan, you are so polite. After the banquet, you may want to stay for a while. I will order someone to take you around so that you can understand the customs and habits of the immortals."
Master Xuan leaned forward and said, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. I am honored to be here. However, my monarch has been sickly since he was troubled by his troubles. How can I indulge in pleasure outside? I am afraid that I will disappoint Your Majesty's kindness."
There was something else behind his words. The emperor knew it was a trap, but he still had to pay attention to it: "The ruler of Tianshui is in his prime, why is he lying on his sickbed?"
When Gongsun Wuyou heard that his father was seriously ill, he was extremely anxious and stretched his neck behind the king, waiting anxiously for an answer.
Master Xuan looked at Lu Yan without leaving a trace, then retracted his gaze and said, "Your Majesty, our monarch and queen have a deep affection for each other. They only have one son, but they sent him thousands of miles to Xianling as a hostage. They haven't seen each other for a long time, and they are worried about him, so they are bedridden."
Master Xuan lifted his robe and knelt down to pay respect: "I have an unwelcome request, please approve it, Your Majesty. Since the battle of Mingyue Ferry, all countries have bowed to the immortals. Tianshui is also loyal and has never been disloyal. Please show mercy and allow Prince Wuyou to return to the country to relieve the king's pain of missing his son."
He had laid so much groundwork before, and in the end it was all for the purpose of getting the hostage back home. As soon as he said this, there was an uproar at the table. You have to know that the hostage palace holds not only the crown prince, but also the children of the lords of the cities in various continents. Who wouldn't want their child to return home?
But Lu Yan knew that the emperor would never say that. If he released Gongsun Wuyou, it would be difficult to hold back the others and it would be difficult to establish rules.
"My parents, you have worked so hard to raise me. Although I am grateful for the love of the King of Tianshui, there is no order without rules. We had already signed an alliance, requiring the royal treasures of each country to be held as hostages in the immortal spirit for three years. Now that one year has passed, I am in a dilemma."
Prince Liu stood up and left the table at the right time: "Rules can be broken or established. If Your Majesty can release the hostage and return to the country, I believe that everyone in Tianshui will be grateful for Your Majesty's kindness. Those who accomplish great things do not care about trivial matters. Your Majesty is already the common ruler of the twelve continents, why bother about these trivial details?"
The emperor closed his eyes calmly and said nothing. Another trusted courtier stood up and retorted: "The most difficult things in the world must be done from the easy, and the most important things in the world must be done from the details. If you can't handle the details well, how can you govern the world?"
"As the ruler of a country, the King of Tianshui should be more trustworthy and keep his promises. If you really miss Prince Wuyou, you can exchange letters to comfort him. The three-year period will pass in the blink of an eye. Why rush it?"
There were many immortal courtiers sitting at the banquet. They were all smart people among smart people. With just one look from the emperor, they knew what to do. They stood up one after another, and blocked Master Xuan and Prince Liu from their discussions.
Zhao Yuxi was the most abnormal person among the crowd. He waited quietly for Master Xuan and Prince Liu to return home defeated, then he stood up slowly and toasted the Emperor, smiling slightly and saying, "Your Majesty's words are as good as gold. Yuxi admires you. This time when I came to the fairyland, in addition to the gifts that should be given to the emperor, my country has also prepared a rare treasure to help entertain today's banquet. Please allow me to do so."
After he finished speaking, he tapped his hands lightly, and two servants came in carrying a brocade box. When they opened it, they saw a flash of cold light, and a three-foot-long sword lying quietly inside. It was unknown what material the sword was made of. The sword body glowed snow blue in the candlelight, and on the hilt was carved a divine beast with its mouth open in anger. The murderous aura was overwhelming, almost suffocating people.
Zhao Yuxi took a half step back, as if he was also frightened by the sharpness of the sword: "This sword is called 'Bie Ren Jian'."
The emperor thought the name was strange and frowned slightly: "What does it mean?"
Zhao Yuxi smiled and said, "It is a divine weapon from heaven, not something from this world, so it should go. This sword is a military artifact of my Wuyun country, as famous as the Goddess Sword. All of its predecessors were world-renowned sword masters and extraordinary heroes, whose sword could defeat millions of soldiers. Today, Yuxi is willing to give it up and donate it."
The rarity of a peerless divine sword is no less than that of a peerless swordsmanship. The emperor waved his hand and called him forward for a closer look. He couldn't help but exclaim in admiration: "It is indeed a divine weapon, not something from the human world. Prince Yuxi, since you said you would use this to entertain today's banquet, how will you do it?"
Zhao Yuxi bowed to him first, then turned to face the crowd, bowed in all directions, and said in a clear voice: "Everyone, it is said that beauty is a gift to a beautiful woman, and a sword is a gift to a hero. If this item falls into the hands of an ordinary person, it will inevitably be covered in dust, which is not what Yuxi wants. It is better to set up a fighting arena in the hall, and each country can send talented people to fight each other. The winner will get this sword. How about it?"
As soon as these words came out, it was like a drop of water falling into a frying pan, splashing countless water. Everyone was talking in low voices, unable to hide their eagerness to try. You know, it is hard to get a magic weapon. Today, Zhao Yuxi was willing to take it out for people to see, but he didn't expect that he would use it as a prize for the competition. Isn't that too generous? !
That's not all. Upon hearing this, Master Xuan also stood up and said, "Since we have a divine weapon, we must have a sword manual. Prince Yuxi is so generous. I admire him and would like to add to the good fortune. The "Ascension to Immortality Scripture" is a sword method created by the Zhemei Sword Sect a hundred years ago, but it has been lost for a long time. I got it by chance last year, and I feel unworthy of it. I will take it out today and be worthy of the hero!"
“Wow——”
As soon as the three words "The Book of Ascension to Immortality" came out, the whole room was filled with astonishment. It was because this sword manual was even more rare than the precious sword. It was said that Mo Zhemei, who created this sword technique, was the youngest sword master in the world. At the age of nineteen, he was able to perform such a superb sword technique, which was truly legendary.
As for the "Book of Ascension to Immortality", it was the result of his life's hard work. It was said that it contained a shortcut to heaven. It could be accomplished in ten years with twenty years of practice, and in twenty-five years with fifty years of practice. However, the method was somewhat sinister as it required digging out the inner elixir of a martial artist and using it for one's own benefit. Hence, its reputation was mixed.
But it was obvious that no one cared whether this method was evil or not. They only cared whether the "Book of Ascension to Immortality" could really allow people to ascend to heaven in one step. Even the Emperor's eyes flashed with a dark light, and he looked quite tempted.
Shang Junnian held Lu Yan's hand under the table, signaling him not to act rashly. He said in a deep voice, "They threw this thing with ill intentions. I'm afraid they want to test the strength of the Xianling country and how many masters there are."
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