Strongest War Emperor

How could either Yi Hongchen or Ling Chen possibly let Shen Lang resign from his position as an Elder?

In any Sect, an Honored Elder was an individual of immense value.

Either they possessed formidable cultivation and were an overlord of a region;

or they had astonishing achievements in professions like Artifact Refining or Alchemy.

At the very least, they were individuals who could strengthen the Sect in some way, people the Sect would willingly expend resources to recruit and appease.

And Shen Lang, standing before them—how old was he?

Sixteen!

A sixteen-year-old boy with such terrifying cultivation and such shocking cunning!

If he was given just two or three more years to develop, it was likely that even Spirit Copper Level Influences would be fighting to recruit him!

Compared to that, what was someone like Drunken Thousand Cups, who were a dime a dozen within the Sect?

If Shen Lang were to resign as an Elder, the loss to the Evil Wind Valley would be simply incalculable.

When that time came, not even the Valley Master would spare them!

’That bastard Drunken Thousand Cups! This is all his fault!’

Ling Chen’s gaze sharpened. Several times, his qi and blood roiled, and he fought the urge to turn and run Drunken Thousand Cups through with his sword.

He was the Hall Master of the Punishment Hall and was naturally experienced in cracking cases and killing. But when it came to social niceties like persuading someone to stay, he was rather clumsy.

For a moment, an awkward silence descended upon the scene...

Just then, amidst the awkward silence, Luo Fengling suddenly stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Shen Lang.

Then, with a pitiful expression and her eyes welling with tears, she said, ”It was truly inappropriate for Hongchen and the others not to step forward earlier. We hope the Elder can forgive us on account of our youth. We will accept any punishment.”

”Yes, yes! We will accept any punishment the Elder deems fit, without question! Please forgive us for being young and foolish!” Yi Hongchen and the others snapped to their senses, scrambling to add their own pleas.

”Pfft!” Xiaohong couldn’t help but snort with laughter.

The surrounding crowd burst into amusement. Even Ling Chen, who wore a stern expression most of the time, revealed a hint of a smile.

Luo Fengling was slightly older than Shen Lang’s sister, Shen Moran, making her around twenty-two, whereas Shen Lang wasn’t even seventeen yet.

A twenty-two-year-old woman and several young men in their early twenties, standing before a sixteen-year-old boy and saying ”we’re still young” and ”forgive us for our foolishness”... it was all a bit...

What followed was even stranger. Luo Fengling took a few graceful steps toward Shen Moran and said, ”You must be Elder Shen’s sister, correct? Your beauty is otherworldly, like a lone orchid in a secluded valley. It truly puts me to shame. Please, dear, could you help us put in a good word with Elder Shen? I would be eternally grateful!”

One moment she was telling Shen Lang they were young, and the next she was calling the Elder’s sister ”dear”...

Shen Lang glanced at the quick-witted Luo Fengling and broke into a grin.

The cold expression and killing intent he had been projecting suddenly vanished like smoke.

He wasn’t a cold and ruthless person by nature, and he had never truly intended to beat the people from Evil Wind Valley to a pulp.

His feigned, menacing aura was instantly dismantled by Luo Fengling’s words.

Then, Shen Moran smiled...

And so did everyone else in the square...

With a few seemingly awkward words, Luo Fengling had dissipated Shen Lang’s killing intent in the blink of an eye.

The chilling atmosphere that had covered the entire square, causing everyone to break out in a cold sweat, instantly transformed.

’This woman... she’s incredible!’ Shen Lang found himself looking at Luo Fengling with newfound respect.

Ling Chen, overjoyed at this development, decided to follow her lead. He said to Shen Lang, ”Yes, I hope Elder Shen can be lenient on account of their youth. I’ll have the Valley Master punish them severely when we return, to make an example of them! As for Drunken Thousand Cups... how about this, Elder? I’ll make him apologize publicly and offer suitable Spirit Stones or Elixir Pills as compensation. What do you say? I, Ling Chen, give you my word of honor: this will never happen again! From now on, within the Evil Wind Valley’s territory, no one will dare to harm the Shen Family!”

Both Luo Fengling and Ling Chen, whether intentionally or not, conveniently ignored Shen Lang’s declaration that he was resigning as an Elder.

The dignified Hall Master of the Punishment Hall from a Profound Iron Power was speaking so humbly. This immediately stunned everyone present.

Shen Haotian, who had been sitting silently at the back, let out a soft sigh and said, ”Lang’er, you’re already an Elder of the Evil Wind Valley, which makes you family with these people. And since you’re family, what’s a little squabble between you? Hall Master Ling Chen is your senior, after all. For him to speak like this shows great respect to you and to the Shen Family. Don’t make things difficult for him.”

Upon hearing this, the people from the Evil Wind Valley felt as though they had just drunk Jade Dew, a wave of relief washing over them.

They silently praised Shen Haotian for his tact.

Drunken Thousand Cups, who had just been desperately wracking his brain with a pained expression, looked at Shen Haotian with tears welling in his eyes. The more he looked, the more wonderful he thought Shen Haotian was.

He conveniently forgot that when he first learned Shen Haotian was Shen Lang’s father, his first impulse had been to capture the man and beat him senseless...

Shen Lang might have ignored anyone else, but he could not disregard his own father’s words.

Besides, the killing intent he had just mustered had truly been scattered by Luo Fengling’s words. It was difficult to say anything harsh now.

”Yes, I understand,” Shen Lang replied, turning to nod at his father.

He turned back, glanced at Drunken Thousand Cups, then addressed Ling Chen. ”And what does Drunken Thousand Cups have to say for himself?”

What else could Drunken Thousand Cups say?

The moment Shen Lang nodded, he immediately scurried out, gesturing wildly and launching into a passionate speech. He declared that the Shen Family and the Evil Wind Valley were one big family, that his mind had been clouded by his worry for the Young Valley Master’s safety, and that he never should have offended the Elder, and on and on...

His string of apologies and guarantees had the members of the Shen Family fired up one moment and teary-eyed the next...

Shen Lang, however, just kept rolling his eyes.

Striking while the iron was hot, Drunken Thousand Cups produced a bag of Spirit Stones and two Elixir Pills. He rushed over to Shen Moran and said, ”These are two Profound Level First Grade Essence Enhancing Pills, refined by Alchemy Master Wang Ziwu from the Imperial Capital. I see that your cultivation is at the Qi Martial Realm Sixth Heaven. These two pills can help you break through to the Qi Martial Realm Seventh Heaven in no time...”

”WOW!”

The surrounding crowd immediately erupted.

Profound Level Elixirs were rare and incredibly expensive. To think that Drunken Thousand Cups would offer two at once just to curry favor with Shen Lang’s family!

The Clan Leader, Shen Haoxuan, gazed at the two translucent pills and muttered, ”A Profound Level First Grade Essence Enhancing Pill... an Essence Enhancing Pill... If only Jianfeng could have one of these, then...”

Suddenly, Xiaohong’s voice cut through the clamor, silencing the crowd.

Xiaohong scoffed. ”Are you kidding me, Mister? You’re trying to fool us with just two of these? Giving my Lady two Profound Level First Grade Essence Enhancing Pills to take? Why, I haven’t even finished the several large bottles of Profound Level Second Grade ones I have!”

The crowd around them immediately burst out laughing.

But even though they all thought Xiaohong was just being a foolish girl, no one dared to mock her openly.

Shen Lang was an Elder of the Evil Wind Valley now. Even the Hall Master of the Punishment Hall had to beg on Drunken Thousand Cups’s behalf. Who would dare risk Shen Lang’s wrath at a time like this?

A cold sweat trickled down Drunken Thousand Cups’s back...

Only someone from the Shen Family would dare to speak to him like that. If it had been anyone else, he would have already rushed over to deliver a beating.

’What is wrong with these Shen Family people?’

’I’m afraid of Shen Lang, not anyone else. How dare a mere maid be so insolent?’

’Several large bottles?’

’Forget a maid like you, if the entire Shen Family could produce even one or two, I’d eat my hat!’

The thought had barely crossed Drunken Thousand Cups’s mind when his gaze was riveted by what Xiaohong held in her hands.

He watched as Xiaohong took out several Jade Bottles. She opened one, took out a pill that looked like the Essence Enhancing Pill in his own hand—but was far more lustrous and perfectly formed—and casually popped it into her mouth.

A rich medicinal aroma instantly filled the entire square!

Xiaohong’s entire body was enveloped in a soft, wondrous glow.

Everyone noticed that the Essence Enhancing Pill Xiaohong had taken out seemed to be of an even higher grade than the one in Drunken Thousand Cups’s hand!

’Shit, I didn’t take a blow to the head during my fight with Shen Lang, did I? Am I hallucinating?’

Drunken Thousand Cups rubbed his eyes again and again, trying to get a clearer look at the pill in Xiaohong’s hand.

While he was still in a daze, Ling Chen walked over and said kindly, ”Young lady, may I have a look at the pills in your hand? Don’t worry, I won’t damage them.”

Xiaohong gave him a slightly fearful glance, then looked toward Shen Lang.

Shen Lang didn’t mind her revealing this. ’The five great Noble Families from the Imperial Capital had already sent their experts, and his status as an Elder of the Evil Wind Valley was public knowledge. He wasn’t afraid of anyone looking for trouble.’

’Things had already gone this far; a few more scare tactics wouldn’t hurt.’

He gave Xiaohong a slight nod.

Seeing Shen Lang’s encouraging look, Xiaohong said proudly, ”No problem. Here, take a look.”

Ling Chen took the bottles, opened them, and inspected them carefully. His expression grew solemn. ”They’re all Profound Level Second Grade Essence Enhancing Pills!”

BOOM!

The entire square, including the Shen Family members, erupted into chaos.

Xiaohong was holding three Jade Bottles, each containing more than ten Essence Enhancing Pills, and all of them were Profound Level Second Grade!

For so many Profound Level Second Grade Elixir Pills to appear in a minor family like the Shen Family was shocking enough. But what was truly mind-boggling was that they were in the hands of a mere maidservant!

What kind of Great Noble Family could possibly be so extravagant that even their maids ate Profound Level Elixirs like snacks?

Shen Haoxuan and the other Shen Family Elders knew Shen Lang was extraordinary, but they could never have imagined something like this.

To them, it felt like a dream. No matter how they looked at it, the scene felt completely unreal.

The entire fortune of the Shen Family wouldn’t be enough to buy even a few Profound Level Essence Enhancing Pills, yet Xiaohong held a whole handful of them?

This world had gone mad!

Just as Ling Chen was rendered speechless by shock, Xiaohong’s next words sent another shockwave through the crowd. ”Mister, the Elixir Pills my Young Master refines are pretty amazing, aren’t they? I have lots more...”

Xiaohong was naive and unversed in the ways of the world. Since she saw that Shen Lang didn’t mind her talking about the elixirs, she simply said whatever came to mind.

She had no idea what consequences her words would bring.

But to Ling Chen and everyone else in the square, her words struck like a clap of thunder, leaving them utterly stunned and disoriented.

CLATTER!

With a tremble of his hand, one of Drunken Thousand Cups’s Essence Enhancing Pills fell to the ground.

He scrambled to pick it up, his face a mask of utter disbelief.

”These Profound Level Elixirs... were... were refined by Elder Shen? Elder Shen is a Profound Level Alchemy Master?” Ling Chen’s voice began to tremble.