Chapter 251: Chapter 226 Don’t Be Low-Key in the Future_1
Two figures leaned on the staircase, bathed in moonlight, their shadows merging into one.
Lu Yan stared at the moon, lost in thought.
In a blink of an eye, it had been almost twenty years since he had arrived in this world, and he couldn’t quite tell if that blue planet in his memories was real or just a dream.
"Lu Yan, Lu Yan..."
Suddenly, a faint call from Zhao Sirong came to his ear.
He turned his head and saw that Zhao Sirong was still asleep.
"Was it a dream?"
Lu Yan smiled.
"Lu Yan, can you take me with you, can you..."
Zhao Sirong continued murmuring, causing Lu Yan to pause slightly.
"I don’t want to stay in Lingwang City anymore, I’m really tired..."
"After father and mother passed away, those people have been eyeing my parents’ legacy, plotting to seize it. I’m so tired. Can you take me with you, anywhere is fine..."
Zhao Sirong’s voice was broken, and Lu Yan listened carefully to make out the meaning.
Toward the end, a tear slid down from her eyes, fell onto Lu Yan’s hand, cold and wet.
"Lu Yan, Lu Yan..."
Zhao Sirong murmured a few more times, her voice growing softer, until only slight breathing could be heard.
Unconsciously, Lu Yan’s right hand pulled Zhao Sirong’s shoulder towards him, applying a slight force, and said, "Alright, I’ll take you with me, we’ll go to Mingwang City..."
Although Zhao Sirong might not be able to join the King Ming’s Bodyguards, in the thriving Mingwang City, with her Martial Marquis cultivation level, finding a job wouldn’t be difficult.
Lu Yan sat quietly.
Unaware of when, a whitish light began to break out at the horizon.
Zhao Sirong stirred slightly on his shoulder, awakening, saw Lu Yan and quickly sat upright. A faint blush flitted across her cheeks, "I’m sorry, I drank too much yesterday."
"It’s alright, Sirong, pack up your things. Let’s go to Mingwang City," Lu Yan said.
"We? Going to Mingwang City? You and me? You wish," Zhao Sirong retorted.
"Didn’t you say yesterday that you didn’t want to stay in Lingwang City, and that you wanted me to take you with me?" Lu Yan asked.
"I didn’t say that. You must have been hallucinating from drinking too much last night," Zhao Sirong firmly denied.
Lu Yan was taken aback, and silently chuckled.
This woman’s thoughts, how strange they are.
"Perhaps, that’s the case," Lu Yan smiled bitterly, "then what about those people from the Zhao clan..."
"It’s nothing, some small issues, I can handle it. You do not have to worry about that, just focus on your cultivation in the Mansion of King Ming," Zhao Sirong said lightly, a smile on her face.
"Alright, if you need any help in the future, you can go to Li’an City to find mentor Guan Shan," Lu Yan said.
Since Zhao Sirong denied it, Lu Yan wouldn’t insist. He bid Zhao Sirong goodbye, walked out of Lingwang City, and headed towards Moling Mountain.
Zhao Sirong stared at the direction of Lu Yan’s departure, lost in thought.
An old servant came over and said, "Miss, why don’t you go to Mingwang City with Young Master Lu? This old servant can see that Young Master Lu isn’t indifferent to you."
"He is now a Grandmaster, a man of great talent. After joining the King Ming’s Bodyguards and receiving training from the Mansion of King Ming, he will undoubtedly soar high. If I follow him, I would only become a burden that distracts him," Zhao Sirong shook her head and then said, "Uncle Ru, pack up. I’m leaving tomorrow."
The old servant was surprised, "Miss, where are you going?"
"To the Shengxuan Sect, I can’t fall too far behind him."
...
Lu Yan arrived at the foot of Moling Mountain, met with three of King Ming’s Bodyguards, and set off towards Mingwang City together.
After arriving at Mingwang City, the three brought Lu Yan directly into the heart of the city, into King Ming’s Mansion.
They first arranged for him to stay in a side courtyard, and then went to report the situation to their superiors.
This wait lasted for three days.
Three days later, Lu Yan received the message that all his procedures had been approved. He was officially a member of the King Ming’s Bodyguards. However, his identity token and tailor-made clothes would take some time. Besides, as a prodigy with eleven Inner Strength, the treasured eligibility to join the Hidden Dragon Camp also required days for approval.
Taking advantage of this time, Lu Yan brought a couple of bottles of good wine to thank Xiang Chongyang.
The bottles of wine weren’t significant, but the sentiment was.
The gatekeeper, recognizing Lu Yan, knew that he had joined the King Ming’s Bodyguards and had a promising future, treated him courteously and greeted him with a smile. However, the gatekeeper informed him that Chongyang had gone to take care of official business and would not return until the afternoon, so Lu Yan decided to wait.
Lu Yan simply waited patiently, he had nothing else to do.
The afternoon came, and Chongyang returned.
"Did you sort out everything at home? After joining the Hidden Dragon Camp, it will take years before you can go back," Chongyang asked with a smile.
"Yes, all sorted," Lu Yan replied.
Lu Yan nodded, asking, "Senior, since I’ve joined King Ming’s bodyguards, can my master’s spirit tablet return to the Mansion of King Ming? Could it be placed in the ancestral temple? And what about my senior brother, Guan Shan, can he return to the Mansion of King Ming?"
"Leader Chu Long has already reported to King Ming, but this matter, others can’t decide, only King Ming can, but..."
Xiang Chongyang seemed to be considering his words after pondering. Then he added, "But these many days have passed, and King Ming has made no position. I feel this matter is hanging by a thread."
"Ah?"
Lu Yan was a little disappointed.
Guan Shan had originally thought that by recommending Lu Yan to the Mansion of King Ming, Chu Chenzhou’s spirit tablet could return to the ancestral temple, and he himself could also return to the Mansion of King Ming.
If he knew, he would be very disappointed.
"But don’t be discouraged. I think it may be King Ming testing you. If you make great achievements in the future and get remarkable results, King Ming may withdraw the order and pardon Chenzhou,"
Xiang Chongyang comforted Lu Yan.
"Senior, what crime did my master commit back then?"
Lu Yan couldn’t help but ask.
He had been curious about this for a long time.
He had asked Guan Shan before, but Guan Shan kept his mouth shut.
Xiang Chongyang also fell into thought.
After a while, he said, "Didn’t your master tell you?"
Lu Yan shook his head.
"That guy, did he know it was hard to speak too?"
Xiang Chongyang smiled and said, "Telling you doesn’t matter. Because of a woman, that woman was sent by the enemy to infiltrate King Ming’s city. Chu Chenzhou, who had a wife and children at the time, fell in love with her. When the woman was found, he also covered her escape and accidentally killed one of his cousins."
Lu Yan was shocked.
He didn’t expect that the old man he respected had such a past.
Chu Chenzhou’s cousin was naturally a prince’s son.
Colluding with the enemy and killing a prince’s son, if it were anyone else, it would be a capital crime.
No wonder Chu Chenzhou was demoted to Lingdong, unable to return to the Mansion of King Ming for life.
And it’s no wonder that Guan Shan didn’t want to speak. It really damaged Chu Chenzhou’s image.
"Knowing this is enough. Don’t take it to heart. After all, it’s been a hundred years. King Ming is not a muddled person. He will not blame your master’s fault on you. As long as you cultivate well, what should be yours, won’t be missing."
Xiang Chongyang, fearing that it might affect Lu Yan’s enthusiasm, reminded him and continued, "There is one more thing, in the Hidden Dragon Camp, do not keep a low profile."
"Don’t stay low-key?"
Lu Yan was startled, which seemed a bit different from what Guan Shan had advised.
Guan Shan told him to keep a low profile, but Xiang Chongyang did not tell him to do so.
"The Hidden Dragon Camp, or rather, the Mansion of King Ming is not Lingdong, if you are too talented, you will be feared in Lingdong. Here, in the Mansion of King Ming, the more talented, the better. Even if you are a real dragon, the Mansion of King Ming is big like the sea, it can contain."
"Lu Yan, do you know about the fourth grade True Body?"
Xiang Chongyang asked.
Lu Yan shook his head. He knew very little about the True Body Realm.
"In the Master Level, a martial cultivator controls more inner strengths or has unique powerful inner strengths. Then, when you break through to True Body Realm, the condensed True Body will be stronger and the True Vigor cultivated will be stronger."
"Different grades, total four, are the Inferior True Body, Middle-Grade True Body, Upper True Body, and King’s True Body."
"Taking the Innate Martial Body as an example, a cultivator who can control one to four inner strengths, upon breaking through to the True Body Realm, can only condense an Inferior True Body."
"Those who can control five to nine inner strengths can condense a Middle-Grade True Body upon breaking through to True Body Realm."
"Those who control ten to twenty inner strengths can condense an Upper True Body, and you have the potential of an Upper True Body."
"Above twenty inner strengths, it is the legendary Qi-blood resembling an elephant or a dragon that can condense a King’s True Body."
"And those who have Internal God-man status are even more special. The worst Internal God-man has the potential for a Middle-Grade True Body, and the stronger can easily condense an Upper True Body."
"And for new people who have just entered the Hidden Dragon Camp, for the first three years, the Mansion of King Ming is free to cultivate, without having to do any task. But resources depend on different talents and cultivation levels."
"You are already a Master. Just speaking at the Master’s level, those with the potential for a Middle-Grade True Body, for the first three years, get five three-level martial pills and ten pounds of three-level martial food for free each month."
"For those with the potential of an Upper True Body, they are supplied with ten three-level martial pills and twenty pounds of three-level martial food every day each month. If there is the potential for a King’s True Body, they are directly supplied with thirty three-level martial pills every month."
Xiang Chongyang explained.
Lu Yan couldn’t help but click his tongue.
It really cost a great deal.
A three-level martial pill costs thirty thousand taels of silver each.
Just taking him as an example, with ten three-level martial pills provided every month and twenty pounds of three-level martial food each day, the silver invested would add up to three hundred and sixty thousand taels a month.
In a year, that’s four million, three hundred and twenty thousand taels.
In three years, the investment would exceed ten million taels.
Only the Mansion of King Ming could afford such resources and energy.
"So if you have the potential of an Upper True Body, but pretend to be low-key, making it appear as though you only have the potential for a Middle-Grade True Body, you will receive fewer resources and you are the one to lose out."
"Of course, if you are too exceptional, having the potential of a King’s True Body, it’s still necessary to keep a low profile. Under the King’s True Body, in the eyes of all major top Feudal Princes, you still seem normal. But the King’s True Body, too terrifying, with unlimited potential in the future, with the potential to become a top-notch master in the world, you will be listed as a person of interest to the top Feudal Princes, and they may even send people to assassinate you."
"Under the King’s level, it doesn’t matter how fierce you appear, the more eye-catching you are, the more attention you will receive and the more resources you will have."
Xiang Chongyang continued.
Lu Yan nodded and curiously asked, "Are there any King’s True Bodies in the Hidden Dragon Camp?"
Xiang Chongyang smiled and said, "There are naturally no King’s True Bodies in the Hidden Dragon Camp, because once one enters the True Body Realm, they must leave the Hidden Dragon Camp. The Hidden Dragon Camp has only martial cultivators below the True Body Realm, but there are those with the potential for a King’s True Body, and more than one."
"These gifted individuals with the potential for a King’s True Body can generally feel secure about their safety in the Mansion of King Ming, but once they leave for a mission, they are easy targets. Which is why most of them have practiced face-changing techniques, and they change their appearance when they go out for tasks or practice."
