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Chapter 51: Chapter 50: A Great Harvest

Even a man of clay has a temper, and Zhao Yong was anything but.

In a fit of rage, the True Qi around him erupted, and the twang of his sinews was as resonant as a heavenly chord.

Everyone was stunned.

No one had expected it. The Ninth Prince, who hadn’t been particularly renowned before, had actually cultivated his physical body to such a terrifying extent. He was easily on par with the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince in their younger days.

What shocked them even more was that Zhao Yong, who was known for his composure, had been provoked to such a degree by Zhao Ci.

’Looks like there’s going to be trouble!’

’And they’re standing so close to each other...’

But just as Zhao Yong rose to lunge at Zhao Ci, a somewhat aged voice called out.

”Insolence!”

The voice wasn’t loud, yet it was deafening. Everyone present felt their consciousness scatter.

As the primary target, Zhao Yong’s legs gave way, and he fell to his knees.

The True Qi that had been raging moments before receded in an instant, utterly quelled by that single shout.

A long moment passed.

Zhao Yong finally regained his clarity. When he met Zhao Huan’s furious gaze, he panicked. He immediately kowtowed from afar, trembling as he spoke, ”Father Emperor! Your son knows his crime!”

”Hmph!”

Zhao Huan snorted. ”You can’t beat him in alchemy, so you resort to foul play? Is that how I taught you? I sentence you to three days of reflection. Go home and think about what you’ve done after the conference is over!”

Zhao Yong hastily bowed. ”Thank you, Father Emperor. Your son accepts his punishment!”

’It’s just a verbal reprimand.’

’Thank goodness!’

His trembling body finally calmed somewhat.

Zhao Ci, however, looked perfectly composed. He smiled and asked, ”Father Emperor! As I recall, poaching talent is permitted in the mansion competition, is it not?”

Zhao Huan gave him a benevolent smile. ”The Imperial Clan Court does have such a rule, provided you’re willing to pay the price.”

The crowd felt a pang of jealousy.

’Just a moment ago, he was glaring at the Ninth Prince. Now, he’s back to being a doting father. The Emperor’s change in attitude...’

’He might as well have openly encouraged Zhao Ci to poach someone.’

Having received his confirmation, Zhao Ci smiled and looked at Zhuge Xiao. ”Young Master Xiao, what do you say?”

He’d heard of the War God Tower. It was considered a sacred place for unlocking the Physical Body Divine Treasure and only opened once a year. Aside from a few exclusive slots, it was only accessible to imperial relatives who had established their own mansions and their respective Mansion Officials. Moreover, entry could only be redeemed with merit points.

Anyone participating in the mansion competition would covet access to the War God Tower.

Just a few days ago, Zhu Li had mentioned in her report that Zhuge Xiao was counting on the War God Tower to heal his legs, which had been crippled since he was a child.

’This is a perfect opportunity to recruit him.’

’Anyway, with the Pill Association settled, the initial investment will be spread out over three years. As long as my profits are ten thousand taels above the average assessed by the Imperial Clan Court, I’ll earn one merit point. If my Pill Workshop operates normally, I can earn nearly a hundred merit points from military orders alone, not to mention merits from public sales.’

’And entry to the War God Tower only costs fifty merit points.’

’Even if I did nothing else, I could easily redeem access for four people. Right now, the Tenth Prince’s Mansion only has two official members, me and Zhu Li. Add my sworn brother Feng Kucha, and I can still support one more person.’

Zhuge Xiao was certainly smart enough to do the math.

He stroked his senseless legs. A flicker of interest crossed his eyes, but he seemed conflicted and glanced toward his aunt.

But Zhuge Wei Yue simply turned her head, offering no advice whatsoever.

He looked up and saw that both Zhao Ci and Zhao Yong were watching him.

The former’s eyes were bright; the latter’s were grim.

He pondered for a moment, then smiled and cupped his hands. ”Thank you for your generous offer, Tenth Prince. However, the Ninth Prince was the one who first recognized my humble talents. Besides, my name is already carved on the stone tablet of the Ninth Prince’s Mansion. A gentleman’s word is his bond and cannot be easily broken.

”I appreciate your kindness, Tenth Prince, but access to the War God Tower has always been a prize for which young heroes must contend. I wish to try and earn it for myself.”

At these words, many people looked at Zhuge Xiao with astonishment.

After all, merit points from the mansion competition were notoriously difficult to earn. It wasn’t uncommon for a mansion of ten people to struggle for an entire year and fail to accumulate even one hundred points. And even then, they would face the harsh reality of divvying them up.

They never thought Zhuge Xiao would actually refuse.

Zhao Yong’s eyes widened in surprise. He couldn’t believe Zhuge Xiao would make such a choice. They had spoken frankly on many occasions, and he knew exactly how much the War God Tower meant to him.

Hmm?

Zhao Ci was also taken by surprise. ’As far as I knew, although Zhuge Xiao is the eldest legitimate son of the Zhuge Clan, his disability exempted him from coming to Lingge. Zhu Li said he came this time specifically for the War God Tower. I can’t believe he resisted such a temptation.’

’What an interesting man!’

He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t so narcissistic as to believe he was some ”Bright Lord,” nor did he think Zhao Yong was a complete loser. And he certainly didn’t think Zhuge Xiao was wrong for his choice.

’It just seems the road to establishing my mansion will be much harder than I thought.’

’If Zhuge Xiao, who is so desperate to heal his legs, won’t become an official in the Tenth Prince’s Mansion, what chance do I have with others? After all, this mansion competition is inextricably linked to the struggle for the throne...’

He smiled and cupped his hands. ”Young Master Xiao truly has the bearing of a gentleman. I won’t press the issue! But as long as the Tenth Prince’s Mansion has an open spot, our doors will always be open to you.”

Zhuge Xiao gave a faint smile. ”Thank you!”

A brief back and forth.

Tactful and to the point.

And just like that, the battle to recruit him was over.

Only then did Zhao Huan stand up, beaming. ”Very well. This year’s Gongdan Conference is now concluded. Two new stars have risen in the Alchemy Realm this year, driving down the price of Qi Cultivation Pills. This is a magnificent feat for the good of the people and a great fortune for our Great Yu.

”As Emperor Yu, I am truly blessed to have two such sons.

”Eunuch Li!”

Eunuch Li answered respectfully.

”Your servant is here!”

Zhao Huan laughed heartily. ”Bestow upon the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince one Low-Grade Imperial Extreme Pill each! Bestow upon the Xingyu Pill Association the ’National Pill’ Golden Plaque! And bestow upon the Tenth Prince, Zhao Ci, two hundred thousand taels of silver!”

Gasps of astonishment erupted from the crowd at his words.

The Emperor Pill was a top-grade body refining medicine that could only be created by a master alchemist possessing Imperial Extreme True Qi. However, the Zhao Clan primarily cultivated the Metal and Earth Divine Treasures, making the emergence of such a master alchemist exceedingly rare—one hadn’t appeared in a century. This meant the supply of Emperor Pills was finite, with each one used depleting the stock. They were awarded only to members of the Imperial Family who had performed great deeds.

Although these were merely Low-Grade, they were still incredibly precious. And today, he had given out two at once.

It seemed the price drop for Qi Cultivation Pills had truly put the Emperor in an excellent mood.

The National Pill Golden Plaque was even more shocking. The Xingyu Pill Workshop’s momentum was already terrifying; with this golden plaque...

’The entire landscape of the Alchemy Realm is about to change!’

”Thank you, Father Emperor!”

”Thank you, Father Emperor!”

The two princes bowed in unison, though their feelings couldn’t have been more different.

Zhao Ci couldn’t help but smirk. ’A Low-Grade Imperial Extreme Pill? How stingy!’

Just then, a series of notifications finally trickled in.

[System]: Wish fulfilled. Reward: Comprehension Value +1000, Top-Grade Imperial Extreme Pill x1.

[System]: Wish fulfilled. Reward: Comprehension Value +1000. Corresponding skill stolen: Imperial Extreme Scattering Hand.

[System]: Wish fulfilled. Reward: Comprehension Value +1000. Corresponding skill stolen: Celestial Demon Body Refining Secret Technique.

[System]: Wish fulfilled. Reward: Comprehension Value +100, Rising Talisman x1.

[System]: Wish fulfilled. Reward: Comprehension Value +10, Fame Talisman x1.

...

The rest of the notifications were all for Fame Talismans.

[Rising Talisman]: When used on oneself, induces a state of perfect battle focus that lasts until complete exhaustion.

[Fame Talisman]: When used on a target, makes them more likely to attract the attention of anyone within ten zhang. Lasts for fifteen minutes.

Whoa!

’These seem pretty useful.’

Just then, Zhao Ci went on a spending spree with his points, and his status panel changed dramatically.

[Comprehension Value]: 294

[Current Items]: Money-Eyed Talisman x99, Fame Talisman x89, On-Spot Relief Charm x7, Taotie Talisman x44, Insult Talisman, Rising Talisman, Rash Man Talisman...

[Yu Xin Flame]: Nascent (Cannot be upgraded at this time)

[Divinity Refining Furnace]: Mastered.

[Xiang’s Spear Technique]: Proficient (0/10,000)

[Emperor’s Extreme Body Refining Technique]: Bone Forging Stage (0/10,000)

[Imperial Extreme Scattering Hand]: Proficient (0/10,000)

[Celestial Demon Body Refining Secret Technique]: Fourth Level (0/10,000)

’What a huge haul!’