Chapter 741: Willing to Be a Supporting Leaf
Before long, the other two heirs of the Eastern Domain Saint King Manor also arrived at the foot of the Book Mountain aboard war chariots.
One of them, named Chen Kai, was the only Sacred Body produced by the Eastern Domain Saint King Manor in the past century, and he was widely regarded as the strongest among the four heirs.
Chen Kai’s cultivation had reached the ninth change of the Fish-Dragon Realm. Although he was sixty-eight years old, he did not appear aged, looking more like a young man of twenty-seven or twenty-eight.
Ao Xinyan glanced at Chen Kai, her lips moving slightly as she transmitted her voice to Zhang Ruochen: “This man is named Chen Kai. He possesses the ‘Divine River Sacred Body’ and has a considerable reputation in the Eastern Domain.”
“According to intelligence from our Half-Dragon Human clan, Chen Kai has likely refined a drop of divine blood. He is an extremely formidable figure and the most important heir of the Eastern Domain Saint King Manor.”
Zhang Ruochen cast a glance at Chen Kai and gave a slight nod.
The other heir of the Eastern Domain Saint King Manor was a young woman whose beauty rivaled Huang Yanchen’s. Her name was Chen Lan’er. She had a rather voluptuous figure, with full chest and hips, fair skin, and a bright red cinnabar dot painted between her brows. Her demeanor was noble and elegant.
Chen Lan’er wore a silver gauze treasure robe, densely covered with inscriptions that floated on its surface, emitting a faint silver glow. Clearly, that silver gauze treasure robe was a formidable defensive sacred artifact.
Behind Chen Kai and Chen Lan’er, each had eight battle generals at the ninth change of the Fish-Dragon Realm.
Ao Xinyan transmitted her voice to Zhang Ruochen again: “This woman is named Chen Lan’er, the granddaughter of the Eastern Domain King. Although her cultivation is only at the eighth change of the Fish-Dragon Realm, she has a very high level of skill in formations, with a spiritual power intensity reaching the forty-fourth rank. If she sets up a formation, Chen Lan’er is capable of contending with Chen Kai.”
Zhang Ruochen was also sizing up the three heirs of the Eastern Domain Saint King Manor. He could clearly sense that the way they looked at Huang Yanchen was rather strange—a mix of hostility and contempt.
They were looking down on Huang Yanchen from a superior position.
Zhang Ruochen frowned slightly, feeling displeased, but he quickly understood the reason.
After all, Huang Yanchen was only an outsider of the Chen clan, and her strength was the weakest. Even if she became one of the heirs, how could the direct descendants of the Eastern Domain Saint King Manor think highly of her?
Chen Kai stepped down from the war chariot, his boots striking the ground with a clanging sound, exuding an imposing and authoritative aura. He said, “The four of us are the heirs of the Eastern Domain Saint King Manor, representing the manor’s face. Tonight, no matter what, we must not disgrace the Saint King Manor.”
As he spoke, Chen Kai’s gaze flicked toward Huang Yanchen, clearly implying something.
Chen Lan’er walked gracefully down from the war chariot, a hint of playful charm in her smile. “If anyone can’t even hold onto a fourth-rank ‘Outstanding Seat,’ I think they shouldn’t continue as an heir of the Saint King Manor. Our Eastern Domain Saint King Manor can’t afford that shame.”
The atmosphere around them grew rather awkward. Even the battle generals behind Chen Tianpeng, Chen Kai, and Chen Lan’er wore faint, knowing smiles, their eyes occasionally drifting toward Huang Yanchen.
Huang Yanchen remained silent, as if she couldn’t detect the hidden meaning in their words. But beneath her sleeves, her ten fingers were tightly clenched, producing a faint cracking sound.
In truth, Huang Yanchen didn’t care much about the position of heir. At first, when faced with the direct descendants’ harassment, she had considered giving up and not being an heir anymore.
But when she remembered that this heir position was something Zhang Ruochen had fought hard to secure for her before his death, a strong sense of unwillingness surged within her, forcing her to persevere.
Since her talent was lacking, she would train harder, putting in ten or a hundred times more effort than others to become stronger.
Through her efforts, she had indeed achieved remarkable results, reaching the seventh change of the Fish-Dragon Realm in less than a year.
But compared to the other three heirs, she still had a huge gap.
“No matter how much they mock me, no matter how many cold stares I endure, I absolutely cannot give up. I must hold on. If I lose the position of heir, how will I ever avenge myself against the Nine Nether Sword Saint?”
Huang Yanchen bit her silver teeth tightly, even breaking her lip, as a taste of blood surged into her throat.
Seeing Huang Yanchen suppressing her emotions, Zhang Ruochen glanced at the three heirs of the Eastern Domain Saint King Manor, feeling a mix of emotions.
He transmitted his voice to Ao Xinyan: “Senior Sister Yanchen has the advantage of the Black Tortoise Sacred Source, but in terms of talent, she falls short compared to Chen Tianpeng, Chen Kai, and Chen Lan’er.”
“When I fought for her to become an heir, I only thought that the Eastern Domain Saint King Manor would allocate more resources to her, allowing her to receive better training.”
“I didn’t realize that by doing so, I was putting her in an awkward position. This is all my fault.”
Ao Xinyan was taken aback, sensing something unusual about Zhang Ruochen. She asked, “Captain, what… are you planning to do?”
“Tonight, I want to be a supporting leaf and help her.”
Zhang Ruochen smiled faintly, then looked up toward the top of the Book Mountain. “At the very least, I’ll help her secure one of the one hundred and eight King Seats.”
Willing to be a supporting leaf?
Ao Xinyan was clearly shocked by Zhang Ruochen’s decision. She never expected the captain to make such a choice.
With his strength, he even had a chance to contend for one of the nine Realm Son Seats. But from his tone, it seemed he had no intention of taking any seat on the Book Mountain. Instead, he wanted to be Huang Yanchen’s supporting leaf.
Ao Xinyan quietly glanced at Huang Yanchen, and for some reason, she felt a deep envy.
Huang Yanchen not only had an outstanding fiancé like Zhang Ruochen, but he also loved her deeply, willing to silently sacrifice for her. He would even give up the chance to become a Realm Son for her sake.
“If I could meet a man like that, I would have no regrets even if I were shattered to pieces.” Ao Xinyan bit her lip tightly, the jealousy in her heart gradually fading into admiration.
Chen Kai glanced at Huang Yanchen and asked in a questioning tone, “Cousin Yanchen, you’re also an heir of the Eastern Domain Saint King Manor. Why haven’t you hired any guards to protect you? With your cultivation at the seventh change of the Fish-Dragon Realm, can you hold onto an ‘Outstanding Seat’?”
Chen Tianpeng sneered sarcastically, “If an heir of the Eastern Domain Saint King Manor can’t even secure an Outstanding Seat at the Realm Son Banquet, who do you think they’re disgracing?”
Chen Lan’er giggled, tapping her chin with two slender fingers. “If Cousin Yanchen can’t afford guards at the ninth change of the Fish-Dragon Realm, your elder sister here can lend you two to help you secure a seat.”
Huang Yanchen took a deep breath, struggling to suppress the anger in her heart. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and her eyes grew sharp. She was about to climb the Book Mountain alone.
Even if she had to fight until she was battered and bruised, she would still charge forward.
Just then, Zhang Ruochen stepped forward, appearing beside Huang Yanchen. His eyes swept over the three heirs opposite him, and he said calmly, “Who says Princess Yanchen has no guards? I am her guard.”
“You… are her guard?”
Chen Kai, Chen Tianpeng, Chen Lan’er, and even the battle generals behind them all looked surprised. Clearly, they hadn’t expected Huang Yanchen to actually recruit a guard.
But he was just a guard. What could he amount to?
They assumed this young man was simply attracted to Huang Yanchen’s beauty and her status as an heir of the Eastern Domain Saint King Manor, so he was trying to curry favor with her.
After all, they had to admit that with Huang Yanchen’s qualities, she wouldn’t lack suitors. It was normal for a reckless fool to be blinded by her beauty.
Looking at Lin Yue, Huang Yanchen was completely stunned, unable to believe her eyes.
Chen Kai, Chen Tianpeng, and Chen Lan’er didn’t know his identity, but Huang Yanchen knew that this man was a sword path prodigy from the Liangyi Sect, someone who had defeated two experts from the Demon Sect.
With his strength, even if he couldn’t become a Realm Son, securing a King Seat wouldn’t be difficult.
Such a young king was willing to be her guard? Even though Huang Yanchen knew Lin Yue was pursuing her, she still couldn’t believe he would do something so crazy.
“You… what are you doing?” Huang Yanchen asked.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Lin Yue is willing to serve as a guard for Princess Yanchen, ready to carry out your orders.”
Huang Yanchen’s heart trembled slightly, but she still didn’t believe it. “Don’t you know that once you become my guard, you won’t be eligible to sit at the Realm Son Banquet? Guards cannot be guests. Young Master Lin, this joke is too much.”
“Swish!”
Zhang Ruochen drew a Golden Serpent Sacred Sword, holding the hilt before his chest. He bowed his head slightly and smiled at Huang Yanchen. “Princess, your guard is ready to ascend the Book Mountain with you and attend the Realm Son Banquet.”
Finally, Huang Yanchen began to believe that Lin Yue truly intended to be her guard.
But why?
Just because Lin Yue was pursuing her?
She didn’t believe that was the reason.
After all, she and Lin Yue had only met two or three times. There couldn’t be deep feelings between them. Even if Lin Yue wanted to pursue her, he would at most give her some treasures. He wouldn’t lower himself and give up the chance to become a Realm Son just to be her guard.
There had to be another reason.
Huang Yanchen connected this to past events—the unusual behavior of Xuanji Sword Saint, the thousand drops of Black Tortoise Sacred Blood and five drops of Dragon Emperor Blood that Lin Yue had given her, and what was happening now.
Everything was abnormal, yet it seemed to have an inevitable connection.
Suddenly, she felt she had grasped a key point, but that point seemed to not exist at all.
“Lin Yue… it sounds familiar, like I’ve heard that name somewhere…”
Chen Lan’er muttered to herself. Suddenly, as if remembering something, she immediately looked up, her eyes shining with two bright beams as she stared at Lin Yue beside Huang Yanchen. She blurted out, “You’re that sword path prodigy from the Liangyi Sect?”
(In the past few days, my day-night cycle has been completely reversed. I’ve been trying to adjust my schedule, but I still haven’t managed it. So… one chapter in the morning, and the other chapter will be updated in the afternoon.)