Chapter 167 - 136: Power
Chapter 167: Chapter 136: Power
"Every few years, a master at the Void Breaking Realm ascends to the Upper Realm."
"My Xiao Clan’s ancestor was one of them. We used to be able to contact him, but now the connection is completely severed," Xiao Hua said nonchalantly.
’These things are too far removed for me, almost illusory. All I need is Lu Yuan by my side.’
Lu Yuan nodded and hefted the saber in his hand. "How do I bind myself to this?"
"Drip your blood on it and absorb it into your body to nurture. It will take on your mark, and from then on, you will be the blade’s master."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan immediately squeezed out a drop of blood, letting it fall onto the saber.
The next moment, the body of the blade erupted in a brilliant glow.
Then, with a mere thought from Lu Yuan, it transformed into a streak of green light and disappeared into his body.
Moreover, the weapon, which had felt a bit heavy before, now felt perfectly balanced.
"All right, it’s getting late. We should head to Jiyin Hall," Lu Yuan said with a smile after storing the weapon.
Xiao Hua nodded, and the two of them left the treasury.
They headed straight for Jiyin Hall.
As they arrived outside the hall, they saw it was already brightly lit. The Xiao Clan’s ruler hadn’t arrived yet, but many court ministers were already in their places, accompanied by their families, creating a lively and glamorous scene.
As Lu Yuan entered the great hall, many eyes turned toward him.
Then, the crowd bowed in unison. "Greetings, Crown Princess."
Xiao Hua waved her hand. "Everyone, you may rise."
Then, she took Lu Yuan by the hand and began introducing him to the ministers in the hall.
Every person they met was exceedingly polite to Lu Yuan.
He was dazzled by it all, but inwardly, he was stunned. ’These are all masters. Any one of them, picked at random, is above the Divine Origin Realm. I never saw anyone like them back in Dayong. And now they’re being so polite to me.’
And just as they were speaking, a sharp voice rang out, "Her Majesty has arrived!"
Then, the ruler of the Xiao Clan walked in and took her seat at the head of the hall.
The ministers hurried back to their seats and bowed. "Greetings, Your Majesty."
"Be seated, all of you. Today’s family banquet is to celebrate the return of Prince Qin, so please, don’t stand on ceremony. Hu’Er, Yuan, come here to me," the Xiao ruler said with a smile.
Then, while Lu Yuan was still in a daze, Xiao Hua pulled him up onto the high dais, where they sat down on either side of the ruler.
This was the moment, in fact, that the Xiao ruler formally announced Lu Yuan’s status to everyone present.
For the ones who could sit there were completely set apart from the ministers.
In an Imperial Dynasty, only a Prince would receive such treatment.
The fact that Lu Yuan was allowed up there said it all.
As the banquet began and a few cups of wine were drunk, the atmosphere grew lively. Lu Yuan was the man of the hour, and many people came forward one after another to offer him toasts.
Some of the Noble Disciples were especially keen to get on his good side.
’They’ve probably come with an agenda today.’
Plus, the Northern Barbarians were known for being boisterous and fond of drinking.
So, Lu Yuan was destined to drink a great deal.
What they didn’t know, however, was that Lu Yuan’s constitution was so powerful that every one of his organs had already undergone Divine Containment.
Never mind a few jars of liquor; he could drink an entire lake dry, as long as his stomach could hold it all.
Xiao Hua, sitting opposite him, couldn’t help the trace of worry that appeared in her eyes.
After all, this wasn’t ordinary liquor. It was the Northern Barbarians’ special Red Ginseng Liqueur. While it was highly beneficial for one’s cultivation, it was also incredibly intoxicating.
Even a master couldn’t avoid getting thoroughly drunk after drinking it.
It was said that not even masters of the Dharma Aspect stage could handle it.
Lu Yuan, however, was completely unfazed, downing one jar after another.
By late night, even the Xiao ruler and the senior ministers of the Northern Barbarians were casting curious glances his way.
They clearly hadn’t expected Lu Yuan to be able to drink so much.
By now, nearly all the young people in the hall had been drunk under the table by him.
In that moment, the way they looked at Lu Yuan changed once more.
The Northern Barbarians loved their drink, and they believed that a man who could hold his liquor was a man worth knowing.
And someone like Lu Yuan was exceptionally worth knowing.
Just then, Lu Yuan stood up and began making the rounds, toasting the senior ministers in the hall.
The banquet didn’t officially conclude until he had made a full round.
After everyone had departed.
The Xiao ruler looked at Lu Yuan with a wry smile. "Did you really drink all that liquor? Or did you use some little trick?"
"Of course I drank it all. I have a rather special constitution; I’ve never been drunk in my life," Lu Yuan said, patting his stomach.
"Impressive. I didn’t expect that. You’ve met all the officials today, and you’ll inevitably be dealing with them in the Imperial City from now on.
Go back and rest for a few days. Before long, you’ll likely be setting out on a military expedition."
"I’m ready anytime," Lu Yuan said nonchalantly.
After bidding farewell to the ruler and her daughter, he left the imperial palace and returned to his own Prince’s Mansion.
As soon as he stepped through the gates, a retinue of guards fell in behind him, only stopping when he reached the rear residence.
More than a dozen maids took over from there, and by the time he returned to his courtyard, a hot bath was already prepared.
His steward, Cai Chong, was reporting from outside.
As Lu Yuan soaked in the bath, he listened to Cai Chong’s report. "Your Highness, the transfer of the Spirit Stone Ore bestowed by Her Majesty was completed this afternoon. The monthly yield is ten thousand Spirit Stones, but half must be handed over to the imperial court as tax."
"The ten pastures are all large-scale, each with over ten thousand horses. The annual income from them is around ten million taels of silver."
Lu Yuan was astonished to hear the figures.
It was a truly staggering amount.
"What’s the exchange rate between Spirit Stones and silver?" Lu Yuan asked curiously. He didn’t have much of a concept of Spirit Stones, having never encountered them in the past. If he hadn’t killed Prince Lie’s men and obtained some, he wouldn’t have even known such things existed.