CH10
The wooden doors of the bedchamber creaked open, and Long Xiaoyao stepped out into the corridor. He was dressed in a set of pristine, snowy white robes that draped loosely over his frame, giving him an air of casual, ethereal elegance
"Yuan Gui, who is this General Meng?"" Long Xiaoyao asked, his voice calm.
Yuan Gui immediately bowed, clasping his hands together respectfully. "Replying to Your Highness, that is Marquis Meng Xiong. He is the Great General currently in charge of the defences and administration of Myriad Leaf City."
Long Xiaoyao nodded slowly, absorbing the information. However, as the eunuch straightened up, a distinct scent drifted through the air.
Long Xiaoyao frowned slightly, sniffing the space between them.
"You smell Eunuch Gui," Long Xiaoyao noted, looking at the eunuch curiously. "It smells like... temple incense. What the hell were you doing?"
Yuan Gui froze, forcing a stiff smile onto his face while keeping his head lowered. "Just... paying my respects to the ancestors for Your Highness's well-being," he stammered.
Inwardly, however, Yuan Gui's thoughts were screaming. 'Of course I smell like incense! I spent the entire night kneeling at the shrine until I fell asleep!'
The eunuch's heart pounded anxiously. Since yesterday, he had watched Long Xiaoyao stare into thin air and mutter strange responses to absolutely no one.
Yuan Gui was convinced that a wandering ghost or an evil spirit was hovering around his master, whispering madness into his ears.
'Please, oh heavens,' Yuan Gui prayed silently in his mind, 'let the smoke and prayers drive away the thing haunting His Highness.'
He had no way of knowing that Long Xiaoyao wasn't possessed at all; he had simply been arguing with the System interface that only he could see.
"If Your Highness would please follow me. General Meng and his two sons are awaiting your presence in the study."
Long Xiaoyao nodded and began the walk, his white robes flowing around him with each step. As they moved through the quiet hallways, his mind drifted back to the System interface he had been perusing earlier. A specific notification flashed in his memory.
'To unlock specific categories of goods in the System Shop, the Host must possess a book, scroll, or a technique with the corresponding theoretical or practical knowledge of it'
His eyes lit up. If he could get his hands on a manual, he wouldn't be able to learn how to do it; he would also gain a supply chain using Domination points. He could become self-sufficient
He slowed his pace and glanced at the eunuch walking half a step behind him. "Yuan Gui."
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"In my study, or perhaps in the warehouse... do we possess any books regarding the weapon refining, talisman creation? or Alchemy?"
Yuan Gui blinked, his step faltering slightly. He looked at Long Xiaoyao with a mix of confusion and apology.
"Weapon refining? Talismans? Alchemy? Your Highness... those are not things one can find in a common market, nor in a Prince's ordinary collection."
Long Xiaoyao frowned. "We don't have any?"
"Forgive this servant for disappointing you," Yuan Gui said, shaking his head. "Those are the items of the Immortals. Within the Kingdom, perhaps only your Imperial Father, the King, would possess such rare manuals in the Royal Treasury. Aside from His Majesty, one would have to look toward the Cultivation Sects and their disciples to find such things."
"Sects..." Long Xiaoyao murmured. "Tell me about them. Who are these sects?"
Yuan Gui lowered his voice slightly, as if discussing the divine required a hush. "There are three major powers that loom over our kingdom, Your Highness."
"First, there are the two Orthodox sects," Yuan Gui explained, counting on his fingers.
"The Azure Sword Sect, focuses entirely on the mastery of sword arts and righteousness. Then, there is the Thousand Petals Sect. They are somewhat reclusive and accept only female disciples, "
Yuan Gui's expression darkened as he raised a third finger.
"And then, there is the Unorthodox sect the Weeping Willow Pavilion."
"Unorthodox?" Long Xiaoyao asked raising an eyebrow
"Evil, Your Highness," Yuan Gui corrected with a shudder. "They specialize in poisons and underhanded assassinations. They have done countless wretched things to other cultivators like stealing resources. The Azure Sword Sect and the Thousand Petals Sect despise them."
Yuan Gui paused, then added a reassuring note. "However, you need not worry too much. The Weeping Willow Pavilion usually ignores those who are not cultivators. To them, mortals are like ants beneath their notice."
Long Xiaoyao absorbed this information, filing it away for later.
'So, to get the books I need to unlock the other items in the shop, I either need to raid my father's treasury, get involved with these sects, or become a gacha gambling addict'
They reached the end of the corridor. Yuan Gui stepped forward and pushed open the heavy double doors of the study.
"Your Highness, we have arrived," Yuan Gui announced.
Inside, sitting stiffly on the guest chairs, was a burly man with a full beard. Flanking him were two younger men, his two sons
'System,' Long Xiaoyao commanded silently. 'Check their cultivation.'
[Marquis Meng Xiong]
[Cultivation: 5th level of Qi Refining]
[Meng Hao (Eldest Son)]
[Cultivation: Half-step Qi Refining]
[Meng Lin (Youngest Son)]
[Cultivation: Mortal]
'5th level Qi Refining Realm? This is the man responsible for defending this city against the Forest of Beast?' Long Xiaoyao was inwardly surprised
"Greetings, Your Highness the Sixth Prince," Marquis Meng Xiong boomed, clasping his fists. His two sons followed suit, bowing respectfully.
However, as the Marquis straightened his back, his eyes narrowed. He stared intently at Long Xiaoyao, his instincts screaming
The frail, mortal aura he expected from the rumors was gone. Instead, there was a faint but distinct fluctuation of energy radiating from the young prince.
"Your Highness..." Meng Xiong couldn't hide his shock. "You... you have broken the mortal shackles? You have become a Qi Refining cultivator?"
Behind him, his two sons looked up in astonishment. The eldest son's jaw tightened, while the younger one looked at the Prince with wide, awestruck eyes.
Yuan Gui, standing by the door, felt his knees go weak with relief. 'So that was it!' The pressure he had been feeling since meeting Long Xiaoyao wasn't a lingering ghost or an evil spirit, it was the pressure of spiritual energy
'Thank the heavens,' he thought, 'His Highness became an immortal'
Long Xiaoyao sat behind the main desk, looking calm despite the stares. "Indeed. The attack by the Iron-Hide Boar was a calamity, but it was also a blessing in disguise. Hovering between life and death seems to have enlightened me, allowing me to step onto the path of cultivation."
Marquis Meng Xiong's expression shifted. The shock faded, replaced by a cold, hard look.
He let out a short, sharp breath through his nose.
Meng Xiong recalled the small, wax-sealed vial he had given to Long Xiaoyao's guard saying it was a beast repellent
The Ferrous Swine Pheromones. Derived from the glands of a Sow Queen in peak estrus.
To a human, it was odorless once applied to fabric. To a male Iron Hide Boar, however, it was an irresistible, maddening siren song.
It didn't just attract them; it drove them into a primal, mating-heat frenzy where they would destroy anything in their path to reach the source.
The guard had been the beacon. The boars had come for him, crazed and lust-filled, tearing through the formation to get to the scent.
By all logic, the chaos should have overwhelmed the guards. The 6th Prince, standing right next to the bait should have been gored by a dozen tusks
'And yet, here you stand, the guards were torn to shreds. The formation broke. You faced multiple Iron Hide Beasts while blinded by dust and panic.'
It defied calculation. It defied the trap.
'Is this the mandate of the Heavens?' Meng Xiong wondered.
"Ah, that reminds me. It is truly a miracle that Your Highness found fortune in misfortune. However, I fail to understand why Your Highness felt the need to go 'sightseeing' in the dangerous after arriving here in my city."
Meng Xiong bowed then continued "If something truly terrible had happened to you, I, as the General of Myriad Leaf City, would have been the one punished by the King. Enlightened or not, Your Highness should know better than to run around courting death."
Long Xiaoyao's eyes narrowed slightly. He picked up on the shift immediately. Meng Xiong might be bowing, but there was no respect in his heart
"General Meng worries too much," Long Xiaoyao said, his voice smooth and devoid of apology. "I am merely a guest in your city. However, do remember... while you are the General responsible for this city, I am still the one who decides where I go. Let us not confuse our roles."
Marquis Meng Xiong threw his head back and let out a booming, boisterous laugh. The sound bounced off the walls of the study, jarring and overly loud.
"Hahaha! Your Highness is absolutely correct!" Meng Xiong exclaimed, waving his hand as if sweeping away the previous conflict.
"I am merely a rough military man, used to barking orders at soldiers. Sometimes, I forget the delicate etiquette required when speaking to the Son of Heaven. I hope Your Highness does not take offense at this old soldier's bluntness."
He took a step closer to the desk, a smile on his face that didn't quite reach his cold, calculating eyes.
"However," Meng Xiong continued, his tone shifting to one of mock concern, "since Your Highness intends to stay in Myriad Leaf City for some time, safety must be our priority. It is a tragedy that the personal guards Your Highness brought from the capital were...regrettably wiped out during that incident with the boar. You are currently defenseless."
Meng Xiong gestured vaguely toward the door.
"As the acting authority here, I cannot allow that. I will assign a squad of my own elite soldiers to guard your residence and accompany you wherever you go. They are far more capable than those palace guards you lost. This way, we can ensure no further 'accidents' occur."
"General Meng, your concern touches my heart, truly, but I have to reject your offer" Long Xiaoyao drawled, setting the cup down with a sharp clink
'If I have Meng Xiong's spies watching me twenty-four-seven, how am I supposed to abuse the system? I need people I can control completely. People who won't report back to this old fox. But why the hell is he so hostile towards me?'
"Your Highness. It's merely a precaution," Meng Xiong bowed slightly, though his eyes remained hard.
Long Xiaoyao waved a hand dismissively. "No need. To be honest, General, I find myself dreadfully bored in this city. Since I have nothing better to do, I plan to recruit some subordinates myself. I've never tried my hand at molding men into soldiers. It doesn't sound like a bad idea to pass the time, does it?"
Long Xiaoyao laughed, a frivolous, arrogant sound that made the General's brow twitch
Meng Xiong paused, clearly evaluating the Prince's whim. He saw only a bored aristocrat looking for a new hobby.
"As you wish, Your Highness," Meng Xiong said, his tone smoothing out. "If the Prince wishes to try his hand at command, who am I to stop him?"
The General then straightened, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Since you have declined the guards, I will turn my attention to the root of the problem. I will personally lead an expeditionary force into the forest tomorrow. I will hunt down every last Iron Hide Boar to avenge your fallen guards. Justice shall be served."
"You are a pillar of the Kingdom, General Meng," Long Xiaoyao said aloud. "I await your good news."
"However, I must confess, Your Highness," Meng Xiong said, his voice deep and rumbling
"You are not quite what I expected. The rumors from the capital painted a different picture. They said the 6th Prince was... delicate. A man soft as silks, easily startled by the wind"