Chapter 215: Chapter 215: Secrets
’This boy’s ambitions are higher than the heavens. I’m afraid the Liuyun Kingdom won’t be able to keep him.’
Zhao Jing actually felt a little disappointed.
"How about this, Master Ye Xuan? You don’t have to accept the position of National Preceptor. However, I plan to ennoble your grandfather, Ye Batian, as King Ye, a first-rank duke of the kingdom. Blue Moon City, where the Ye family resides, is part of the kingdom’s Tianxu Province. From this day forward, Tianxu Province shall be the Ye family’s fiefdom. For all future tax revenue from Tianxu Province, the Ye family will only need to remit one-fifth."
Zhao Jing dropped another bombshell.
Ye Xuan was about to refuse but was cut off by Zhao Jing.
"Master Ye Xuan, I know you are indifferent to fame and fortune. Sooner or later, you will soar through the heavens like a dragon. Our Liuyun Kingdom is but a small pond, unable to contain a True Dragon like you. However, your family is, after all, in my kingdom. When you travel the continent in the future, you shouldn’t have to worry about them. Consider this a small token of my gratitude."
"Besides, do you think my life isn’t even worth a single province?"
Zhao Jing said with a smile.
Ye Xuan was taken aback. Indeed, he could leave the Liuyun Kingdom, but his father and grandfather would still remain. Coupled with Zhao Jing’s sincere attitude, Ye Xuan nodded and no longer refused.
"Hahaha, good, good."
Zhao Jing was overjoyed, his face wreathed in smiles.
He was a man with a uniquely discerning eye.
Back when the previous King of the Liuyun Kingdom was gravely ill, the other Princes were all scrambling for power, building up their own factions in an attempt to become the Crown Prince and ascend the throne.
Only Zhao Jing diligently and conscientiously performed his duties and took care of his royal father.
In the end, the previous King recovered from his illness and immediately appointed Zhao Jing as the Crown Prince, utterly stunning all the other Princes.
As for King Chu, Chu Yunfei, he was originally from a remote branch of the royal family and wasn’t thought highly of at all. It was Zhao Jing who discovered his talent. After Chu Yunfei distinguished himself in battle, Zhao Jing transferred him to the Royal City’s Imperial Guard, where he started as a small squad leader. He eventually became the commander of the Imperial Guard, was ennobled as King Chu, and became the strongest man in the kingdom.
Now, he was Zhao Jing’s most capable aide.
Zhao Jing knew what actions to take, and what rewards to bestow, for each type of person.
Now, he had set his sights on Ye Xuan and was investing heavily in him without the slightest reservation.
This level of kingly decisiveness earned Ye Xuan’s admiration.
It was just a pity for Chu Yunfei and the others at the side; they were already so stunned by Zhao Jing’s words that they were gaping, their minds completely blank.
To be made a first-rank duke and ennobled as King Ye—and a king with a different surname at that, not with an empty title but with an actual, tangible fiefdom. Such a reward had rarely appeared in the hundreds of years of the Liuyun Kingdom’s history.
This title of King Ye was even more substantial than Chu Yunfei’s title of King Chu, as Chu Yunfei, after all, did not have his own fiefdom.
But when they thought of how terrifyingly talented Ye Xuan was, it all made sense.
Indeed, Ye Xuan might not be much right now, but with his talent, as long as he didn’t die prematurely, he would one day soar amongst the heavens and become a top-tier powerhouse.
After all, Ye Xuan was only fifteen years old and was already a Tier Three, Second Layer Earth Martial Artist. Furthermore, he possessed astonishing skill in Alchemy. If he continued to grow, his future achievements would be hard to estimate.
But in reality, these weren’t the main reasons. What made everyone most wary was the person behind Ye Xuan.
For Ye Xuan to have such skill in Alchemy at only fifteen, no one believed he could have learned and comprehended it all on his own. After all, it was difficult for an Alchemist to achieve greatness through study alone; only by going through countless refinements and experiments could one gradually grow.
Therefore, in everyone’s mind, there was definitely a heaven-defying figure behind Ye Xuan. It was this expert who had taught Ye Xuan so much.
And this existence likely transcended the limits of the Thirteen Nations Alliance, possibly hailing from one of the continent’s empires, sects, or academies.
Otherwise, how could a young man like Ye Xuan, from a remote corner of the kingdom, have mastered so much knowledge about Alchemy that even they, the kingdom’s top Alchemists, were unaware of?
If Ye Xuan knew what Yang An and the others were thinking, he would surely give a faint smile.
In fact, it wasn’t that Yang An and the others were wrong. There was indeed a heaven-defying expert behind him—it was just that this person was himself.
"Master Ye Xuan, what do you plan to do with this Heart-Eating Worm?"
Zhao Jing and the others felt an instinctive wariness toward the Heart-Eating Worm.
"Your Majesty, I still have a use for this Heart-Eating Worm. For now, it is sealed with me. Rest assured, I guarantee it will never harm anyone else again while it’s in my possession. However, Your Majesty, as far as I know, cultivating a Heart-Eating Worm is extremely difficult and requires special techniques to control. I wonder, how were you afflicted by it?"
Ye Xuan was also very curious about the Heart-Eating Worm. He had a feeling that a creature like this couldn’t possibly be cultivated in a place like the Thirteen Nations Alliance.
Zhao Jing seemed lost in memory. "This matter dates back to nineteen years ago. That year, not long after I ascended the throne, the borders were under pressure. I personally led the army into battle against the Fire Crow Kingdom and dealt their forces a major defeat. But on the way back, I was suddenly ambushed by assassins from the Shadow Killing Sect."
"The assassination squad was extremely powerful, led by three Sect Spirit Master assassins, plus ten Celestial Martial Artist experts. I was caught off guard and nearly killed. Fortunately, Chu Yunfei, Dean Yun Potian of the Profound Spirit Academy, and others intercepted them with all their might, managing to repel them and allowing me to escape with my life. But I was struck by the enemy leader’s palm. At the time, I thought it was nothing, but who knew it would get more and more severe? Only then did I realize I had fallen for a treacherous plot."
"The Shadow Killing Sect? Isn’t the Shadow Killing Sect just an assassin organization in our Liuyun Kingdom? Could their power really be so terrifying? They even dared to assassinate you, Your Majesty? And with so many experts?" Hua Luoxuan’s face was filled with shock.
At the same time, he couldn’t help but glance at Ye Xuan, clearly recalling the Shadow Killing Sect members they had killed back in Blue Moon City.
What Hua Luoxuan didn’t know, however, was that Ye Xuan had also been targeted by Shadow Killing Sect assassins after arriving in the Royal City.
Ye Xuan’s heart jolted as well.
’The Shadow Killing Sect also made a move against the Ye family. I originally heard they were just an assassination group within the Liuyun Kingdom, so I didn’t pay them much mind. If the Shadow Killing Sect is really that powerful, then I need to be careful.’
’Although I’m not afraid of the Shadow Killing Sect myself, if they were to target the disciples of the Ye family, then the family would be in danger.’
Zhao Jing shook his head. "Master Hua Luoxuan, there is something you don’t know. Our Liuyun Kingdom does indeed have an organization called the Shadow Killing Sect, but it is merely a branch. The true Shadow Killing Sect is spread throughout the Thirteen Nations Alliance and has a terrifying reputation there. They have successfully assassinated the kings of two different kingdoms in the past. Our Thirteen Nations Alliance also launched a campaign to encircle and destroy them, but the Shadow Killing Sect is extremely secretive. No one knows where its headquarters are, so the campaign failed. In recent years, the Shadow Killing Sect has hidden itself in the shadows, becoming even more mysterious and unfathomable."
"So, if you encounter members of the Shadow Killing Sect in the future, you must be extremely careful."
As he said this, a cold glint appeared in Zhao Jing’s eyes. He clearly harbored a deep hatred for the Shadow Killing Sect.
"Your Majesty, don’t tell me you don’t know the location of the Shadow Killing Sect’s branch in our Liuyun Kingdom?" Hua Luoxuan asked in disbelief.
Zhao Jing shook his head and said coldly, "If I knew, how could I have let them survive? I would have dispatched the army to completely annihilate them long ago."
A thought stirred in Ye Xuan’s mind, and he spoke up, "Your Majesty, I might have a way to find the location of the Shadow Killing Sect."
"What? You have a way?" Zhao Jing and the others stared at Ye Xuan in shock, crying out involuntarily.
Back then, Zhao Jing had practically turned the kingdom upside down looking for the Shadow Killing Sect’s base, but he had only managed to destroy a few of their minor strongholds.
Ye Xuan nodded. "I do have a way, but it will require a little time."
The Shadow Fiend Technique cultivated by the Shadow Killing Sect was a Yin Attribute Cultivation Technique, and the Heart-Eating Worm was extremely sensitive to such techniques. Perhaps this was also the reason why the experts of the Shadow Killing Sect were able to control the Heart-Eating Worm.
The method he spoke of was to use the Heart-Eating Worm to locate the Shadow Killing Sect. However, after entering the Yin Kui Wood, the worm had fallen into a deep sleep and would need some time to awaken. Only then could he use his Soul Refining Skill to control it.
"Good."
Zhao Jing nodded, his face showing his excitement. "Master Ye Xuan, whenever you find a way to locate the Shadow Killing Sect, you can inform me. When that time comes, I will most certainly dispatch the army to eradicate the Shadow Killing Sect from my Liuyun Kingdom."
Zhao Jing’s gaze was firm, shining with the light of hatred.
After being tormented by the Heart-Eating Worm for so many years, his hatred for the Shadow Killing Sect was as vast and endless as an ocean.
"Master Ye Xuan, although I have granted the Ye family a certain status, those are rewards for your family. I do not know what treasures you might need, Master Ye Xuan. To thank you for saving my life, I have decided to let you choose any three treasures from the Liuyun Kingdom’s treasury."
After a moment of conversation, Zhao Jing dropped another bombshell.
Everyone was dumbstruck.
’Has His Majesty gone mad?’
’To freely choose three treasures from the treasury? That’s the national treasury! All the treasures of the entire Liuyun Kingdom’s royal family are stored inside.’
’To choose any three... what an incredible opportunity and honor.’
In the past, Chu Yunfei and Yang An had also been given such an opportunity, but they were only allowed to choose one item each, and with certain restrictions. Yet Ye Xuan could choose any three. The difference in treatment was simply too vast.
For a moment, Yang An and the others could only look at Ye Xuan with immense envy.
Ye Xuan also understood why Zhao Jing was treating him this way, so he naturally accepted such an opportunity with pleasure.
Soon, the group arrived at the location of the Liuyun Kingdom’s treasury.
After passing through a corridor guarded by layer upon layer of the Imperial Guard, Zhao Jing personally opened the treasury’s great doors.
In the entire Liuyun Kingdom, he was the only one who could open the treasury.
Upon entering the treasury, the dense, misty aura of all sorts of treasures immediately filled the air.
Zhao Jing led Ye Xuan inside. Chu Yunfei and the others followed behind, their eyes shining as they glanced all around.
