Chapter 1047: Ill Intentions
Wan Huayu came to visit Zhang Ruochen accompanied by a purple-robed old man, with no other servants in tow.
Zhang Ruochen had met her once at the Cai Family Holy Mansion and had a deep impression of her. This woman was quite intelligent, possessed strong insight, and in certain aspects, could be compared to her father.
When Zhang Ruochen decided to receive her, he had already secretly warned himself to be cautious and not let her see through his disguise.
"Indeed, it is enviable that His Highness the Divine Son has found such a lush and verdant residence in Yingsha City."
Wan Huayu wore luxurious ice silkworm silk garments, appearing extremely noble. Standing beneath a row of ancient poplar trees, she gazed up at the large clusters of leaves, outlining a snow-white, slender, and graceful neck, exuding great poise.
Zhang Ruochen stood not far away, arms crossed over his chest, and said with a smile, "Has Princess Wan come to visit this Divine Son just to look at these ancient poplar trees?"
Wan Huayu withdrew her gaze and smiled charmingly. "Having long heard of Your Highness the Divine Son's great name, I have come today indeed for some important matters I wish to discuss with you."
"Princess, please speak frankly," Zhang Ruochen said.
Wan Huayu said, "I wish to cooperate with Your Highness the Divine Son. As for the conditions... you name them. How about it?"
"Cooperate?"
Before Wan Huayu entered, Zhang Ruochen already knew that the Wan Family and the Chi Family were allied.
Knowing full well the conflict between him and the Azure Dragon Army, why would she take the initiative to seek cooperation?
Wan Huayu seemed to read Zhang Ruochen's thoughts and said with a smile, "The conflict between the Divine Son and Chi Zhongshan is not a big deal. As long as the Divine Son is willing to cooperate with our Wan Family, I believe Chi Zhongshan would not dare to raise any objections."
"As expected of the only daughter of the Little Saint Heavenly King, truly bold."
Zhang Ruochen gave a slight smile, using a playful gaze that swept from Wan Huayu's chest down to her hips, and added, "Speaking of conditions, this Divine Son does have one. If the Princess is willing to stay and keep me company tonight, everything can be discussed."
"How dare you! Do you know who you are speaking to?"
The purple-robed old man let out a cold shout, and a powerful chilling force surged out along with the sound waves, causing sand and stones to fly across the entire courtyard.
Wan Huayu was clearly already aware of the Blood God Sect Divine Son's character and did not show any displeasure. However, the smile on her face faded as she said, "Your Highness the Divine Son's decision is very unwise. Do you not know that your best choice right now is to cooperate with me? After all, once the Lingxiao Heavenly King's Mansion and your sect's Holy Maiden resort to ruthless methods, with your current strength, you simply cannot withstand it."
Zhang Ruochen showed a contemplative expression, nodded, and said, "Since this Divine Son is so weak, why does the Princess still want to cooperate with me?"
Seeing that Zhang Ruochen's tone had softened slightly, Wan Huayu immediately said, "Because you were able to ascend to the sixth level of the Blood God Altar and defeat the Blood God Sect's first Divine Son, Xue Lingxian. With that potential alone, as long as you find enough heavenly treasures in the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm, you will immediately become the next person to step into the top ten of the *Half-Saint Ranking*."
Currently, only three humans had entered the top ten of the *Half-Saint Ranking*.
This showed just how high Wan Huayu's evaluation and expectations of him were.
"Top ten? This Divine Son is destined to become number one on the *Half-Saint Ranking*," Zhang Ruochen deliberately put on an extremely arrogant demeanor.
The purple-robed old man showed a disdainful expression, feeling that the Princess's attempt to win over such a person was a complete waste of time.
So arrogant and conceited, he could never grow into a towering powerhouse.
Wan Huayu tried to maintain the smile on her face and said, "In another era, Your Highness the Divine Son might still have a chance to become number one on the *Half-Saint Ranking*. But in this age, several peerless prodigies have been born, and I'm afraid you fall a bit short."
"If this Divine Son reaches number one on the *Half-Saint Ranking*, could I have the honor of a kiss?" Zhang Ruochen said with a smile.
Wan Huayu did not show any shyness; instead, a smile appeared on her face. "If that day truly comes, it is not impossible for the two of us to develop further."
"In that case, this Divine Son will first reach number one on the *Half-Saint Ranking* before cooperating with the Princess. Then, I will surely keep the Princess for the night."
By saying this, Zhang Ruochen was effectively rejecting the olive branch Wan Huayu had extended.
"You must think carefully. If you do not cooperate with me, you will find it extremely difficult to take even a single step in the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm from now on," Wan Huayu said.
"This Divine Son has already thought it through very clearly."
In the end, the two failed to reach a consensus and parted on bad terms.
If Zhang Ruochen had agreed to Wan Huayu and joined the alliance of the Wan Family and the Lingxiao Heavenly King's Mansion, that would have truly made it difficult for him to move an inch.
By driving Wan Huayu away in this manner, it would not arouse her suspicion.
Not long after Wan Huayu left, a loud "boom" came from the direction of the main gate.
Chi Zhongshan, the commander of the Azure Dragon Army, sent a punch that shattered the gate into pieces and roared, "Gu Linfeng, I, the commander, will cripple your hands and feet and make you kneel for ten days!"
Chi Zhongshan did not come alone; the other four commanders of the Azure Dragon Army also arrived simultaneously.
The five commanders, all at the Ninth-Rank Half-Saint realm, each erupted with powerful battle intent and strode straight into the depths of the courtyard.
Wan Huayu arrived at the third floor of a nearby tower, sat down, and gazed downward with her distinct black-and-white eyes.
From this position, she could clearly see everything in that courtyard.
The purple-robed old man stood behind Wan Huayu and snorted coldly, "Gu Linfeng has already been driven out by the Blood God Sect's Holy Maiden, yet he remains so arrogant and ungrateful. The Lingxiao Heavenly King's Mansion will surely teach him a harsh lesson."
Wan Huayu rested her fingers on her legs, looking calm and composed, with a slight smile. "The Lingxiao Heavenly King's Mansion has already made its move. Now, let's see how Gu Linfeng responds. I wonder if he can handle it?"
"He is merely a Fifth-Rank Half-Saint. If not for the mysterious female expert by his side, Chi Zhongshan alone could easily deal with him," the purple-robed old man said.
Wan Huayu nodded, agreeing with the old man's view.
In fact, another important reason she had tried to win over Gu Linfeng was to test the identity of that mysterious woman.
Being able to repel Wei Longxing with a single sword strike meant she was certainly no ordinary person.
Of course, now that Gu Linfeng was facing such a major crisis, that mysterious woman would surely appear to save him. As long as the mysterious woman made a move, Wan Huayu was confident she could see through her true identity.
Chi Zhongshan's loud roar alarmed many human cultivators.
They all rushed over, ready to watch the show.
"Gu Linfeng, a Divine Son no less, how did he end up in such a miserable state?"
"First, he was forced away by the Blood God Sect's Holy Maiden, and now the Lingxiao Heavenly King's Mansion has come knocking, demanding he kneel for ten days. It feels like everyone is beating a drowning dog, haha."
"First a stray dog, then a drowning dog—Gu Linfeng couldn't be worse off."
"Who can he blame? It's his own fault for lacking strength yet being so arrogant, flirting everywhere and offending countless cultivators. People like him deserve such a fate."
...
Cultivators from the Blood God Sect, the Shangguan Family, and the Cai Family also gathered nearby to watch the developments.
Cai Jinglun opened a heavenly eye on his forehead, observed for a moment, and said, "The Lingxiao Heavenly King's Mansion has already sealed off the space in that area. It seems they are not giving Gu Linfeng a chance to escape."
Shangguan Xianyan gently bit her red lips, her phoenix eyes focused, but she still sighed, "No matter how worthless Gu Linfeng is, he is still the Divine Son of the Blood God Sect. If the Lingxiao Heavenly King's Mansion goes too far, we cannot stand idly by."
Wei Longxing clasped his hands, a cold smile on his face, and said, "Gu Linfeng brought this on himself. He deserves such an outcome. If not for a woman protecting him, he would never have survived until now."
The Shangguan Family's Shangguan Yi, Shangguan Linglong, and Shangguan Nihong, as well as the Cai Family's Cai Jinglun, Cai Jin, and Cai Yunji, all adopted an onlooker's attitude, offering no opinions.
The three leaders of the Blood God Sect—Shangguan Xianyan, Wei Longxing, and Hai Lingyin—discussed and reached a conclusion.
In the end, Shangguan Xianyan sent an envoy to convey a message to the leaders of the Lingxiao Heavenly King's Mansion: "Gu Linfeng is, after all, the Divine Son of the Blood God Sect. If the Lingxiao Heavenly King's Mansion forces him to kneel, it would undoubtedly be an insult to the Blood God Sect. If it comes to that, the Blood God Sect will not stand idly by."
Upon receiving Shangguan Xianyan's message, the leaders of the Lingxiao Heavenly King's Mansion merely smiled.
"We won't force him to kneel; we'll just beat him until he kneels on his own. Haha." Chi Yutang, one of the four young masters of the Lingxiao Heavenly King's Mansion, laughed.
The human cultivators in Yingsha City, hailing from all corners, were numerous and closely watching the developments.
In their eyes, the Blood God Sect's Divine Son was a pitiful, isolated wretch. Despite his lofty status, he had fallen to this point—a complete tragedy.
"Boom."
In the courtyard, Chi Zhongshan stomped his foot violently, sending a surge of violent sacred qi surging forth, causing the ground to crackle and split into dense patterns.
Within a radius of several dozen zhang, everything—houses, buildings, flowers, and trees—was reduced to dust.
Only the central building remained intact.
Zhang Ruochen sat in the center of the hall, calm and composed, glancing at the five men outside the door, and said, "There is a path to heaven, but you refuse to take it. There is no gate to hell, yet you insist on barging in. Why must it be this way?"
Knowing that Zhang Ruochen had a mysterious female expert by his side, Chi Zhongshan was cautious and did not rashly charge in. He snorted coldly, "Gu Linfeng, you have already fallen to such a state, yet you still dare to be so arrogant? Are you not afraid that I will beat you until you wish you were dead?"
Zhang Ruochen laughed, "This Divine Son has never tasted the feeling of wishing he were dead. On the other hand, it seems you have tasted it not long ago. Do you want a second taste?"
Chi Zhongshan clenched his fists, two flames surging forth. He wanted to charge into the building and personally beat Gu Linfeng to his knees to take revenge.
However, he held back, suppressing the anger in his heart, and said with a smile, "You only know how to talk tough? Don't be a coward hiding behind a woman. If you have the guts, come out and fight me. Then we'll see who is the true strong one and who ends up kneeling on the ground. One battle will settle it."
Everyone could see that Chi Zhongshan was using provocation. If Gu Linfeng were smart, he would not accept Chi Zhongshan's challenge.
"To be honest, with your cultivation and status, you are not even worthy of crossing hands with this Divine Son," Zhang Ruochen said.
Chi Zhongshan knew Gu Linfeng would say that and showed a mocking smile, about to respond.
However, Zhang Ruochen's tone shifted, "But since you insist on a battle, this Divine Son will condescend to fight you. As for the kneeling you mentioned earlier... ten days? Let it be ten days."
Zhang Ruochen stood up, clasped his hands behind his back, walked out of the building, and looked down at Chi Zhongshan below the steps. (To be continued.)