Chapter 746: Chapter 640: Audience with the Emperor Again (Part 2)
As the words fell, Qin An’s figure completely disappeared at the end of the street.
Only then did everyone remember that a bet was needed when challenging Qin An. Their eyes turned to Jian Wuming and Zhao Baizhan, becoming more complicated.
These two were not unarmed but using weapons. Leaving their weapons in Qin An’s courtyard would be extremely damaging to their reputation.
But nobody dared to speak up, as everything was agreed upon before the duel, and these two were challenging him together.
Leaving their weapons in the Evil Extermination Bureau’s courtyard was quite normal.
Jian Wuming also got up and, like Zhao Baizhan, nodded slightly.
They were adults; having done it, they had to bear the corresponding results.
Actually, they already anticipated this result when challenging Qin An.
The two exchanged glances again and didn’t linger.
Staying here would only cause more trouble, especially since they needed to report back to their respective Princes.
Soon, the figures of the two also disappeared in the alley.
The other spectators, seeing that the battle had ended, didn’t linger any longer and left the alley.
The quiet alley restored its tranquility, but only those who witnessed the battle knew this alley might be mentioned again in the future.
...
After returning to his residence, Qin An rested early.
Having fought intensely for ten days and tapped into his foundation today, defeating two Unity Realm Great Success opponents alone caused significant mental exhaustion, so he wanted to rest.
At this time, Yu Feng hadn’t returned, while Qin An had already gone back to his room and fallen asleep.
Time passed by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, several days had passed.
Over these few days, the entire Xuanjing City was abuzz, adding color to the usually peaceful city.
The cause of the excitement was Qin An’s battle in the alley that day, which firmly established his reputation.
Since then, no one dared to challenge Qin An.
If anyone thought about challenging him, they recalled the battle that took place in the alley.
They would assess whether they had the ability.
In fact, the conclusion was always that they didn’t.
As time passed, the final day for the audience with the Emperor at last arrived.
Talents of the Unity Realm from various Tao-level cities had come a long way and today would have an audience with the Emperor.
At this moment, Qin An and Yu Feng were already prepared and headed early to the Imperial Palace.
Within the palace hall, Emperor Xuanwu sat on the dragon throne, frowning as he looked at a document.
Beneath Emperor Xuanwu sat three young men, the Princes of the entire Daqian Kingdom.
The First Prince’s expression was unchanged, but the forced smile on his face made others uncomfortable.
The Second Prince was more direct; his expression was as somber as deep water, obvious to anyone that his mood was particularly bad.
Only the Third Prince was different; he could hardly suppress his smile.
That seemingly mocking expression made the other two Princes very angry.
This expression was due to Qin An.
In the alley, Qin An fought with incomparable power, defeating two Unity Realm Great Success opponents simultaneously.
This not only made Qin An’s fame soar but also affected the three Princes.
The defeated were people aligned with the First Prince and the Second Prince, damaging their influence and reputation.
Qin An was associated with the Third Prince, bringing the latter an indescribable joy.
He couldn’t help but be pleased.
With Qin An suppressing the momentum of the First Prince and Second Prince, in contrast, his influence soared. He not only gained great stature but also managed to recruit many followers in just a few days.
Even those he couldn’t sway before now easily agreed with just a word.
The Third Prince had never dared to dream of this scenario, yet now it’s achieved effortlessly thanks to Qin An.
The Third Prince couldn’t help but feel lucky that he listened to Li Moyun’s advice and came alone to invite Qin An, leading to the current situation.
He even felt that as long as nothing major happened, the position of Crown Prince was firmly his.
Seeing his two brothers with expressions like they had eaten dung made him even happier than recruiting strong subordinates over these few days.
Emperor Xuanwu sat on the dragon throne, exuding unspoken power and pressure.
He took in the expressions of the three Princes, a faint smile playing at his lips.
To him, the struggle for the position of Crown Prince seemed like child’s play.
Yet, over the past days, Qin An’s performance exceeded his expectations, making him consider his plan might find practical application.
Silence fell in the great hall; Emperor Xuanwu said nothing, and none of the three Princes dared utter a word.
At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded, and as everyone looked up, they saw experts from various Tao-level cities entering the hall.
They entered and collectively cupped their fists in salute, shouting long live Your Majesty.
Qin An stood calmly among the crowd.
As soon as he entered, he noticed the eyes of the three Princes were entirely different when they looked at him.
The First Prince and Second Prince had traces of gloom and somberness, while the Third Prince didn’t even pretend, fully revealing his appreciation and joy towards Qin An.
Qin An remained composed, like a sturdy poplar tree, standing among the crowd.
Today was the final stage, where Emperor Xuanwu would, based on their performance in the audience, chart each person’s path for the future.
Then they would return to their Tao-level cities with their rewards and become pillars of their cities.
The old eunuch, with a stooped posture, slowly stepped out from the side.
Despite his hunched appearance, an extremely formidable aura radiated from him.
He held numerous documents in his arms, accompanied by two young eunuchs, each carrying stacks of documents up to half their height.
These documents were precisely matched to the number of people present.
Emperor Xuanwu waved his sleeve, motioning for distribution.
The old eunuch wasted no time, distributing them according to the names written on each document, handing them to each talented individual.
Once distribution was complete, Emperor Xuanwu finally spoke slowly.
"Over the past few days, I’ve pondered how to chart the future paths for each of you. After much thought, I’ve come up with a solution. The documents in your hands are my plans and expectations for each of you."
"You can return to your respective Tao-level cities with these documents immediately, as those cities also require your presence."
No superfluous words were spoken, nor was time wasted. What’s written is always clearer than spoken statements.
This has always been the case when appearing before the Emperor.
Yet today seemed slightly different.
Nobody looked at their document; instead, they all turned their gaze to Qin An.
Qin An’s hands were empty.
The old eunuch hadn’t handed him a document, leaving everyone puzzled.
Was Qin An different from them?
When this thought emerged, Emperor Xuanwu immediately gave the answer.
Emperor Xuanwu spoke calmly, "All of you may leave, including the three Princes. Qin An will stay; I have other matters to discuss."
The crowd showed surprise.
This marked the second time Qin An was left alone with the Emperor, but the Emperor’s word is law, unchallenged by anyone.
Including the three Princes, everyone left.
Soon, only Emperor Xuanwu and Qin An remained in the great hall.
Qin An was curious about the reason Emperor Xuanwu left him here again.
But he restrained himself from speaking.
Emperor Xuanwu pointed to a nearby seat.
Unfazed, Qin An quickly walked over to the seat and sat down.
As soon as he sat, Emperor Xuanwu’s voice slowly emerged.
"I know you’re puzzled as to why I left you here alone again. The truth is, there’s a major strategic plan concerning future development, and only you can accomplish it."
