Chapter 110: The Young Man Behind the Curtain
In the center of the Imperial City, there was a vast palace, boundless in scope, majestic and imposing.
The outer perimeter of the palace was heavily guarded, with soldiers constantly patrolling. Compared to the outer city, the security here was many times stricter.
This place was the heart of the Imperial City, the center of power for the Snow Moon Kingdom, the seat of the Snow Moon Royal Family: the Imperial Palace.
Rumor had it that within this palace, there were eight thousand one hundred checkpoints. Only by passing through these countless layers of curtains and barriers could one reach the true core of the palace.
Yet at this moment, a figure was moving swiftly through the palace, his steps steady, as if he were walking down an ordinary street. The hidden guards made no move to stop him.
This man was dressed in black robes. His face was sharp and defined. Though young, he gave off an aura of profound stability, like a mountain.
Passing through layer after layer of curtains, the black-clad man arrived at a pond. Beside the pond stood an ancient pavilion, where a figure sat on a stone stool, holding a slender bamboo fishing rod, patiently angling.
The figure wore simple white robes. His expression was gentle. He appeared to be around twenty years old, similar in age to the black-clad man. Though he sat casually, he exuded an unfathomable aura.
The black-clad man walked up behind him and stood silently, without speaking.
After a moment, the angler’s hand twitched. The silver fishing line traced a graceful arc, and a fish weighing over a catty landed in the bamboo basket beside him. A faint smile appeared on his face.
“Nanshan, you’re here. Sit.”
The young man turned his head to look at the black-clad man, smiling warmly.
“Your Highness.”
Nanshan bowed slightly to the young man but did not sit down. The young man did not insist.
“Nanshan, it’s been a few days since you last came. Is there news this time?”
“Yes.” Nanshan nodded slightly. “Your Highness, Dapeng Gongzi and Luoxue Gongzi have both arrived.”
“The Snow Moon Holy Academy is about to be established. It’s not surprising that the two of them would come to the Imperial City at this time. I think, if that were all, you wouldn’t have made a special trip.”
The young man’s smile remained gentle, but within those warm eyes lay a sharp intelligence that saw through everything.
“Your Highness’s foresight is unmatched. Today at Qingxin Tavern, I also encountered something interesting. And I met two interesting people.”
“Qingxin Tavern. That is indeed a fine establishment. Nanshan, Qingxin is not getting any younger. Whenever you decide to marry her, I am willing to propose the match for you.”
The young man seemed uninterested in what Nanshan had said, instead bringing up Nanshan’s personal affairs.
A surge of gratitude welled up in the black-clad man’s heart. At the same time, he silently admired His Highness. He always knew how to touch people’s hearts in the most casual way, making them sincerely feel his goodwill.
Qingxin was the woman he loved. If the young man were to propose the match, even if her family was prominent, they would not dare refuse. Even though Nanshan had a firm will, he was still moved by that simple sentence.
But Nanshan knew this was not the time to discuss his own matters.
“Your Highness, today at Qingxin Tavern, Duan Yu came to cause trouble. But she ran into a sixteen-year-old youth, who slapped her on the spot.”
“Oh?” The young man smiled slightly. “That is indeed interesting. In the outer city, there aren’t many who would dare slap Duan Yu. Old man Duan Lie must be furious. And Qingxin probably wouldn’t just stand by either.”
“Your Highness’s guess is spot on. Since it happened at Qingxin Tavern, Qingxin naturally couldn’t stand by. Duan Lie also went. But in the end, they all left empty-handed. The entire tavern was torn down. Even I, your subordinate, had to flee in disgrace.”
Nanshan gave a bitter smile, which only piqued the young man’s interest further. He teased, “A Mysterious Martial Realm expert? A sixteen-year-old youth? That shouldn’t be possible. Which family’s disciple is he?”
“Your Highness might be mistaken this time. The one who struck did indeed possess Mysterious Martial Realm strength, but it was a woman—very beautiful and young. She wore a veil, so her identity is unknown. As for the youth, he is indeed a disciple of some family, but not the kind Your Highness is thinking of.”
Nanshan deliberately kept him in suspense, making the young man laugh. “Nanshan, you’ve learned to whet my appetite. But that Mysterious Martial Realm woman—even you couldn’t find out her identity?”
“I couldn’t. There’s never been any information about her. But I think Your Highness might be more interested in the youth.”
“Oh?” A glint of curiosity flashed in the young man’s eyes. A youth more interesting than a Mysterious Martial Realm expert?
“What is his name?”
“Lin Feng. The Lin of ‘two trees,’ the Feng of ‘maple leaf,’” the black-clad man replied.
“Lin Feng.” The young man murmured to himself. “That day, the Cloud Sea Sect sacrificed their lives to protect one person. That person’s name seemed to be Lin Feng.”
“Yes, that’s him. But his background should be even more interesting to Your Highness,” the black-clad man continued to tease.
“Tell me,” the young man said, his gaze sharpening.
“Lin Feng was born in Yangzhou City,” the black-clad man prompted.
“Yangzhou City… Lin Feng…” The young man muttered to himself. Then his eyes narrowed, and a flash of brilliance flickered through them, dazzlingly bright.
“Her son?”
“Yes, her son.” The black-clad man nodded.
The young man fell silent for a moment, his gaze flickering. Then he said, “Indeed, my interest in him has grown even stronger.”
“Nanshan, do not let anyone else know about this.”
“Your Highness, I understand how to handle it,” Nanshan replied with a smile.
At this moment, Lin Feng had no idea that this conversation in the pavilion had given him several new identities. However, none of them were connected to the Lin family of Yangzhou City, much less to that person in the Imperial City.
Stepping down from the carriage, Lin Feng and the other three looked at the vast open space before them. Groups of young disciples were walking toward them, their eyes filled with excitement and pride.
Straight ahead stood an arched gate. Above the gate were carved several large characters: Heavenly One Academy!
The characters were bold and vigorous, especially the “Heavenly One.” Though the brushstrokes seemed gentle, they exuded a sharp, domineering aura—proud and aloof, as if they were unique in heaven and earth, the one and only.
In front of the arched gate sat several old men on stone stools. Before the stools were stone tables with ink and brushes.
Occasionally, someone from the crowd would step forward to the old men, hand over a letter, have their information recorded, receive a token, and then excitedly walk through the arched gate into the Heavenly One Academy.
“Roar!” At that moment, the roar of a demonic beast drew everyone’s attention.
The crowd turned their heads and saw a girl in fiery red robes riding atop a demonic beast.
The beast was a demonic lion with brown fur as intense as flames. It was extremely imposing, especially when it roared, inspiring awe in all who saw it.
“Using a Spirit Beast as a mount? What a show of status.”
Some were astonished, looking at the girl with a mix of jealousy and envy.
“Zhong Ling.”
Just then, a voice rang out. Behind the girl, a black shadow flashed and appeared beside her.
“Howling Moon Wolf—another Spirit Beast.” The crowd’s pupils contracted. They saw a young man, about sixteen or seventeen, sitting atop the Howling Moon Wolf.
“As expected of the Heavenly One Academy. Truly a sacred ground for the nobility.”
Many felt a pang of melancholy. Although the Heavenly One Academy was not well-known in distant cities, it was extremely famous within the Imperial City. Everyone who entered was either a noble disciple with great talent or an exceptionally gifted commoner.
Of course, some kept their eyes firm and resolute, not even glancing at the demonic beasts. Their eyes held only determination.
“Duan Feng, it seems we’re a bit shabby,” Lin Feng said, leading his horse not far from the young man and woman. Intimidated by the Flame Lion and the Howling Moon Wolf, the Thousand Mile Snow horse he was leading trembled and refused to move forward. Lin Feng could only smile wryly and pull hard to make it advance slowly.
“Brother Lin Feng, I came here to cultivate, not to enjoy luxuries,” Duan Feng said, shaking his head with a smile.
His words were heard by the young man and woman nearby. They turned around, their eyes sweeping over Duan Feng, Lin Feng, and the others. With a sneer, one of them said, “Looks like another bunch of lowlifes have shown up.”