# Chapter 140: Minister Ning
Ten soldiers at the Great Perfection of the Mysterious Extreme Realm carried five chests of treasures into the Minister's residence.
Yunwu Commandery Prince and Zhang Ruochen arrived at the side hall, quietly waiting for Minister Ning to receive them.
After about half an hour, the old steward walked in from outside and whispered something to Yunwu Commandery Prince.
Yunwu Commandery Prince nodded, stood up, and instructed Zhang Ruochen: "Ninth Child, wait here and don't wander off. I will go see Minister Ning first."
Yunwu Commandery Prince and the ten armored soldiers at the Great Perfection of the Mysterious Extreme Realm carried the five chests of treasures into a resplendent grand hall within the Minister's residence.
Though called a hall, it was even more towering and majestic than the palace of Yunwu Commandery Kingdom. The floor was paved with jade, thirty-six thick bronze pillars stood tall, and two rows of beautiful maidservants lined the sides.
From a distance, Yunwu Commandery Prince cupped his hands and bowed to Minister Ning, smiling: "Greetings to Your Excellency the Minister. These are some small tokens from Yunwu Commandery Kingdom. I hope Your Excellency will kindly accept them."
Minister Ning was an old man with white beard and white eyebrows, wearing a purple official robe. Seated on a purple gold grand master's chair, holding a jade teacup, he smiled slightly and said: "I knew you would come to visit in the next few days, boy. Your cultivation seems to have improved again recently."
Minister Ning was already one hundred and thirty-seven years old, with unfathomable cultivation. Yunwu Commandery Prince could indeed only be considered a junior before him.
Although Minister Ning was aged, his eyes were extremely bright, like two stars, completely seeing through Yunwu Commandery Prince's cultivation.
Before this Minister Ning, Yunwu Commandery Prince dared not be careless in the slightest. He quickly said: "Compared to Your Excellency the Minister, my meager cultivation is hardly worth mentioning."
Minister Ning sat above, steady as a mountain, his aura like a vast ocean. He smiled and said: "Sit down! Let us talk slowly. I just received the Commandery Prince of Fire Dragon Commandery Kingdom. He also wants to form a marriage alliance with Thousand Water Commandery Kingdom."
He continued: "That prince of Fire Dragon Commandery Kingdom is a talented young man with extremely high natural gifts. At only nineteen years old, he has already reached the Great Perfection of the Mysterious Extreme Realm, with a great chance of breaking into the Mysterious Ranking. He wanted me to help arrange a private meeting between his son and the Thirteenth Princess. I have already agreed."
Yunwu Commandery Prince frowned slightly: "Your Excellency the Minister, the purpose of my visit..."
Minister Ning smiled: "I understand. You also want a marriage alliance, correct? If you had brought the Seventh Prince, your chances would be considerable. But according to the intelligence I have received, you brought not the Seventh Prince but the Ninth Prince. I'm afraid your chances are much smaller."
Yunwu Commandery Prince said: "The Ninth Prince's natural gifts are not inferior to the Seventh Prince's. Given time, he will surely become a Mysterious Ranking martial artist."
Minister Ning shook his head and sighed: "You simply don't understand how fierce the competition is this time. The Commandery Princes of all thirty-six commandery kingdoms of Demon Ridge have brought their most outstanding princes to Thousand Water Royal City. Not only that, but there are also princes from other commandery kingdoms. Within Thousand Water Commandery Kingdom itself, various great clans also want to form marriage alliances with the royal clan, sending their most exceptional disciples, all hoping to win the Thirteenth Princess's heart."
"If you had brought the Seventh Prince to Thousand Water Royal City, you would at least have some competitiveness. After all, the Seventh Prince is considered the number one prodigy among the thirty-six commandery kingdoms of Demon Ridge. Even among the younger generation of Thousand Water Commandery Kingdom, few can compete with him. I estimate he would have at least a thirty percent chance. But with the Ninth Prince, the chance of winning the Thirteenth Princess's favor is less than one percent."
Yunwu Commandery Prince's expression dimmed. He knew Minister Ning was speaking the truth. The competition was indeed very fierce this time, mainly because the Thirteenth Princess was extremely beautiful, possessed cultivation talent, and was the daughter of Thousand Water Commandery Prince. Naturally, everyone wanted to marry her.
Thousand Water Commandery Prince had thirty-seven daughters, but few were as outstanding as the Thirteenth Princess.
Minister Ning looked at the five chests Yunwu Commandery Prince had sent. After a moment of contemplation, he said: "Yunwu Commandery Prince, we are old acquaintances. I will certainly help where I can. Before the Sword Discussion Assembly, the Thirteenth Princess will meet the talented young men who have come to Thousand Water Royal City. Only those who catch her eye will qualify to participate in the Sword Discussion Assembly. Finally, at the Sword Discussion Assembly, the most outstanding genius will become her consort."
"What I can do is try to arrange a meeting between the Ninth Prince and the Thirteenth Princess. Whether he can pass the Thirteenth Princess's test depends on the Ninth Prince's performance."
Yunwu Commandery Prince's heart rejoiced: "Thank you, Your Excellency the Minister."
Minister Ning smiled: "Don't be too happy too soon. The Thirteenth Princess has very high standards. It would be best for the Ninth Prince to give her a valuable gift. If she likes that gift, her chances of being chosen will be greater. After all, first impressions are important."
"One more thing: once you arrive in Thousand Water Commandery Kingdom, tell the Ninth Prince to keep a low profile. Especially the title 'Prince'—it's best not to use it, so as not to offend the princes of Thousand Water Commandery Kingdom."
"I will tell him these details," Yunwu Commandery Prince said.
Minister Ning pondered for a moment: "It's getting late today. The meeting with the Thirteenth Princess is arranged for tomorrow morning. Don't be late."
Yunwu Commandery Prince left the five chests of treasures at the Minister's residence and returned to the estate with Zhang Ruochen and the ten guards.
Yunwu Commandery Prince called Zhang Ruochen alone to his room. He took out a box over two meters long and placed it before Zhang Ruochen, saying: "Inside this box is an ancient sword at the seventh-grade True Martial Treasure level. Tomorrow, give this ancient sword to the Thirteenth Princess of Thousand Water Commandery Kingdom. Remember, we came to Thousand Water Commandery Kingdom to seek help. You must strive to win the Thirteenth Princess's favor. If she is pleased, perhaps the crisis facing Yunwu Commandery Kingdom can be resolved."
Zhang Ruochen nodded: "I will do my utmost."
Taking the sword box, Zhang Ruochen withdrew.
Yunwu Commandery Prince sat by the lamp and let out a long sigh.
He did not have high hopes for Zhang Ruochen, but as long as there was a glimmer of hope, he had to try his best. He absolutely could not sit idly by and wait for death.
The next day, led by the old steward of the Minister's residence, Zhang Ruochen arrived at an elegantly landscaped estate.
In addition, the prince of Fire Dragon Commandery Kingdom, Zuo Longlin, also arrived outside the estate. He too had come to meet the Thirteenth Princess for a marriage interview.
Zuo Longlin held a one-foot-square glazed box in his hands. He appeared to be about twenty years old, indeed handsome and extraordinary, with quite powerful martial arts cultivation, having reached the Great Perfection of the Mysterious Extreme Realm.
Zuo Longlin puffed out his chest, feeling superior, and glanced at Zhang Ruochen with a smile: "So you are the Ninth Prince of Yunwu Commandery Kingdom?"
Zhang Ruochen held the sword box and replied: "Yes."
"I heard that the four surrounding commandery kingdoms have declared war on your Yunwu Commandery Kingdom, beating you until you were utterly defeated. That's why you were forced to seek the Thirteenth Princess's favor as a way out?" Zuo Longlin's eyes held a mocking smile.
A prince from a commandery kingdom about to be destroyed was not worth his attention at all.
Zhang Ruochen did not show any displeasure. He simply said: "That is a matter for our Yunwu Commandery Kingdom. You need not concern yourself."
Zuo Longlin sneered coldly and said no more.
A moment later, a maidservant in green clothes walked out, glanced at Zhang Ruochen and Zuo Longlin, and said: "Are you Prince Longlin of Fire Dragon Commandery Kingdom and the Ninth Prince of Yunwu Commandery Kingdom?"
"Indeed!" Zuo Longlin and Zhang Ruochen said simultaneously.
"The Thirteenth Princess has agreed to receive you. You may enter," the maidservant said with a rather haughty tone.
Zuo Longlin and Zhang Ruochen followed her at the same time.
Passing through winding corridors, they arrived at a garden planted with countless medicinal flowers. In the center of the garden was a lake.
At this moment, a beautiful girl of fifteen or sixteen was sitting in a pavilion in the middle of the lake. Seeing Zuo Longlin and Zhang Ruochen standing on the shore, she smiled and said: "Whichever of you two can reach the center of the lake first, this princess will look at his gift first."
Zuo Longlin glanced at Zhang Ruochen, a confident smile appearing in his eyes.
Speed was his strong point. If he couldn't even outperform a martial artist at the Middle Stage of the Mysterious Extreme Realm, that would be strange indeed.
"Shua!"
Zuo Longlin leaped up from the shore and landed on a small wooden boat on the lake.
Under the impetus of his true qi, the wooden boat immediately sped toward the pavilion in the middle of the lake, moving extremely fast, like a swimming dragon cutting through the waves.
Even with cultivation at the Great Perfection of the Mysterious Extreme Realm, one could not walk on water and had to rely on external objects.
Back then, when Zhang Ruochen and Luo Shuihan walked on water in the Half-Saint Sacred Intent Diagram, that was not real water—it was the Half-Saint's spiritual will used to temper a martial artist's mental power.
In the past, Zhang Ruochen could not walk on water either.
But after cultivating the Wind-Riding Flying Dragon Shadow, Zhang Ruochen could cross the lake by walking on water, without needing external objects.
Having cultivated the Wind-Riding Flying Dragon Shadow to minor completion, taking nine steps could cover a distance of one li.
Now, Zhang Ruochen was only two hundred meters from the lake pavilion.
"Xiu!"
Zhang Ruochen fully activated the true qi in his body, channeling it to his legs. His body shot forward rapidly, forming an arc. With just one step, he crossed more than twenty meters.
Landing on the lake surface, Zhang Ruochen lightly stepped on the water with the soles of his feet, catching the wind on the lake surface, and his body flew up again.
The second step crossed more than thirty meters, the third step more than forty meters...
When Zhang Ruochen took the third step, he had completely surpassed Zuo Longlin and flown ahead.
Zuo Longlin stood on the wooden boat, staring at Zhang Ruochen flying over the lake surface, stunned and wide-eyed: "He... he can actually walk on water... how... is that possible..."
Even the girl in the lake pavilion was stunned, staring at the heroic figure of the youth flying over the lake. She simply couldn't understand how he had done it.
Just then, Zhang Ruochen took the fifth step. His body landed lightly like a leaf outside the lake pavilion: "Princess, this is my gift to you!"
Afterward, Zuo Longlin also reached the shore and presented the glazed box with both hands: "Princess, please accept my gift."
The girl standing in the pavilion blinked her eyes gently, revealing a strange smile.
...
Tonight between 11 PM and 12 AM, the story will go on sale. At that time, about ten chapters will be released—maybe nine, maybe eleven, mainly depending on how many more chapters I can write during the day today. I hope everyone will continue to support Little Fish.
I make a promise: if subscriptions reach three thousand, Little Fish will write three chapters every day, about ten thousand words, for a whole month. After all, with subscriptions comes motivation.