Ten Xuanji Realm Great Perfection sergeants, carrying five boxes of treasures, entered the Shangshu Residence.
County King Yunwu and Zhang Ruochen, came to the side hall and quietly waited for the reception of the Minister of the Ning Shangshu.
About half an hour later, that one old butler walked in from outside and whispered to County King Yunwu.
County King Yunwu nodded, stood up, and instructed Zhang Ruochen, “Jiu’er, wait here, don’t run around, this king will go to see Minister Ning first.”
Yunwu County King and ten armour-clad Xuanji Realm Great Achievers carried the five boxes of treasures to a splendid hall in the Shangshu Residence.
It was said to be a hall, but it was taller and loftier than the Yunwu County Kingdom’s royal palace wanted to be, the floor was paved with jade, thirty-six thick copper pillars stood, and two rows of beautiful looking maids stood.
From afar, the Yunwu County King arched his hand and bowed to Ning Shangshu, smilingly saying, “Greetings to Lord Shangshu, this is some small meaning of Yunwu County Kingdom, I hope Lord Shangshu will definitely smile.”
Ning Shangshu was an old man with a white beard and white eyebrows, wearing a purple official robe, sitting on a purple and gold tai shi chair, holding a jade teacup, he smiled faintly and said, “I expected that you would definitely pay a visit in the last few days, you brat, it seems that your cultivation has improved again recently.”
Shangshu Ning was already a hundred and thirty-seven years old, his cultivation was unfathomable, Yunwu County King could indeed only be considered a junior in front of him.
Although Ning Shangshu was old, his eyes were very bright, like two stars, seeing through Yunwu County King’s cultivation completely.
In front of this Minister Ning, County King Yunwu didn’t dare to be the slightest bit careless, and hurriedly said, “Compared to Lord Shangshu, how can this bit of my meagre cultivation be up to par?”
Sitting above, as steady as a mountain, with an aura like a vast ocean, Shangshu Ning smiled and said, “You sit down! Let’s talk slowly. Just now, Lao Fu received the county king of the Fire Dragon County Kingdom, and he also wants to marry the Thousand Waters County Kingdom.”
He added, “That one prince of the Fire Dragon County Kingdom is a talented person with extremely high natural talent, at only nineteen years of age, he has already reached the great circle of the Xuanji Realm, and has a great chance of impacting the Xuan Ranking Martial Artists. He wanted to ask Lao Fu to help him out by allowing his son to meet with the Thirteenth County Lord alone, and Lao Fu has already promised him.”
County King Yunwu frowned slightly and said, “Lord Shangshu, the purpose of my visit ……”
Shangshu Ning laughed, “Old me understands that it’s also because you want a marriage, right? If you are able to bring the seventh prince, the chances are quite high. However, according to the information that I have received, the one you brought is not the seventh prince, but the ninth prince, so I’m afraid the chances will be much smaller.”
County King Yunwu said, “The Ninth Prince’s natural talent is not below that of the Seventh Prince, as long as he is given time, he will definitely become a Xuan Ranked Martial Artist.”
Minister Ning shook his head and sighed, saying, “You simply don’t understand how fierce the competition is this time around, the county kings of the thirty-six counties of the Heavenly Demon Ridge almost all brought their best princes to the Thousand Waters King City. Not only that, there are also princes from some other county kingdoms. Within the Thousand Water County Kingdom, all the great clans also want to marry the royal family, sending out their most outstanding disciples, all of them wanting to capture the Thirteen County Lord’s heart.”
“If you brought the Seventh Prince to Thousand Water King City, you would at least have some competitiveness. After all, the Seventh Prince is considered to be the number one heavenly pride of the Thirty-Six Counties of the Heavenly Demon Ridge, and there aren’t many people in the younger generation of the Thousand Waters Counties who can compete with him. Old me estimated that he had at least a 30% chance. However, in the case of the Ninth Prince, if he wants to be favoured by the Thirteen County Lord, his chances are less than one percent.”
Yunwu County King was also a bit gloomy, knowing that what Minister Ning said was the truth. The competition this time was indeed fierce, mainly because that one Thirteenth County Lord was very beautiful and possessed a natural talent for cultivation, and was also the daughter of the Thousand Water County King, so everyone naturally wanted to marry her.
There were thirty-seven daughters of the Thousand Water County King, but there were not many county lords as outstanding as the Thirteenth County Lord.
Minister Ning looked at the five boxes sent by County King Yunwu, pondered for a moment, and said, ”County King Yunwu, we are considered old friends, and I will definitely help if I should. Before the Sword Discussion Conference, all the Thirteen County Lords will have to meet the heavenly talents who come to Thousand Water King City in advance, and if they are favoured by her, they will only be qualified to participate in the Sword Discussion Conference. In the end, the genius who performs the most outstandingly at the Sword Discussion Assembly will be able to become her son-in-law.”
“What I can help is to try to let the Ninth Prince meet with the Thirteenth County Lord, whether or not I can pass the Thirteenth County Lord’s hurdle depends on the Ninth Prince’s performance.”
Yunwu County King’s heart rejoiced as he said, “Thank you, Lord Shangshu.”
Shangshu Ning laughed, “Don’t be too happy, the Thirteenth County Lord has a very high vision, it’s best to have the Ninth Prince send her a gift of great value. If she is able to like that one gift, then the chances of being seen by her should also be higher. After all, first impressions are important.”
“One more thing, when you come to the Thousand Water County Kingdom, tell the Ninth Prince that it’s best to keep a low profile. Especially the title ‘prince’, it’s best not to use it, lest you offend those princes of the Thousand Water County Kingdom.”
“I will tell him these details.” County King Yunwu said.
Minister Ning pondered for a moment and said, “It’s getting late today, so the time to meet the Thirteenth County Lord will be arranged for tomorrow morning, so don’t be late.”
County King Yunwu left the five boxes of treasures at the Shangshu Mansion, took Zhang Ruochen and ten guards, and returned to the manor.
County King Yunwu called Zhang Ruochen to his room alone, took out a two-metre upper box and placed it in front of Zhang Ruochen, saying, “There is a seventh-stage True Martial Treasure Artifact grade ancient sword in the box, you will present the ancient sword to the Thirteen County Lords of the Thousand Water County Kingdom tomorrow. You must remember that we have come to the Thousand Water County Kingdom this time to beg. We must strive to gain the Thirteenth County Lord’s pleasure, if the Thirteenth County Lord is pleased, perhaps the crisis in the Yunwu County Kingdom will be solved.”
Zhang Ruochen nodded and said, “I will do my best.”
After putting the sword box away, Zhang Ruochen retreated.
County King Yunwu sat under the lamp and let out a long sigh.
He did not have much hope for Zhang Ruochen, but as long as there was a sliver of hope, one should always try to fight for it, and one should never sit back and wait for death.
The next day, under the leadership of the old housekeeper of the Shangshu Mansion, Zhang Ruochen arrived at a manor with an elegant environment.
On top of that, there was also Prince Zuo Longlin of the Fire Dragon County Kingdom, who also came outside the manor. He had also come to meet the Thirteenth County Lord.
Zuo Longlin was holding a one-foot square glazed box in his hands, looking around twenty years old, he was indeed handsome and extraordinary looking, and his martial cultivation was also quite powerful, reaching the Xuanji Realm Grand Circle.
Zuo Longlin puffed out his chest, feeling like he was superior as he glanced towards Zhang Ruochen and laughed, “You are that Ninth Prince of Yunwu County Kingdom?”
Zhang Ruochen held his sword case and replied, “Hmm!”
“It is said that the Four Direction County Kingdom declared war on your Yunwu County Kingdom and beat you to death, so you had no choice but to take the Thirteen County Lord’s doorway?” Zuo Longlin’s eyes carried a sneer.
The prince of a county kingdom that was about to be exterminated was not even in his eyes.
Zhang Ruochen didn’t show any displeasure and simply said, “This is the matter of our Yunwu County Kingdom, no need for Your Excellency to worry about it.”
Zuo Longlin sneered and stopped talking.
A few moments later, a maid wearing a green-coloured dress, walked out, glanced at Zhang Ruochen and Zuo Longlin, and said, “You are Prince Longlin of the Fire Dragon County Kingdom and the Ninth Prince of the Yunwu County Kingdom?”
“Precisely!” Zuo Longlin and Zhang Ruochen said at the same time.
“The Thirteenth County Lord has agreed to receive you, you may come in!” That one maid looked rather arrogant as she said.
Zuo Longlin and Zhang Ruochen followed at the same time.
Passing through a corridor, they arrived at a garden planted with countless medicinal flowers, and in the centre of that garden was a lake.
At this moment, a beautiful 15 or 16 year old girl was sitting in a pavilion in the middle of the lake, and seeing Zuo Longlin and Zhang Ruochen standing on the shore, she laughed and said, “If either one of you two is able to reach the centre of the lake first, this county princess will look at his gift first.”
Zuo Longlin stared at Zhang Ruochen with a confident smile in his eyes.
Speed was his strong point, it would be strange if he couldn’t even beat a martial artist at the middle extreme level of the Xuanji Realm.
“Swish!”
Zuo Longlin leapt up from the shore and landed on a wooden boat in the lake.
Under the urging of true qi, the wooden boat immediately travelled rapidly towards the pavilion in the lake, extremely fast, like a swimming dragon breaking the waves.
Even if one’s cultivation had reached the Great Perfection of the Xuanji Realm, one could not tread on water and had to borrow external objects.
Back then, when Zhang Ruochen and Luo Shuihan stepped on water in the Half-Saint Sacred Intent, it wasn’t really water, it was the Half-Saint Spiritual Will that was used to quench a martial artist’s spiritual power.
If it was before, Zhang Ruochen wouldn’t have been able to tread water.
However, after cultivating into the Wind-Resisting Flying Dragon Shadow, Zhang Ruochen was able to step on water and cross the lake without the need to use external objects.
After cultivating the Wind-Resisting Flying Dragon Shadow to a small level of success, stepping out with nine steps, he could cross a mile of road.
Right now, Zhang Ruochen was only two hundred metres away from the Lake Pavilion.
“Shoo!”
Zhang Ruochen completely revolved the true qi in his body and surged it to his legs as his body sprinted out, transforming into an arc, spanning more than twenty metres away in just one step.
Landing on the surface of the lake, Zhang Ruochen’s paws lightly stepped on the water surface, catching the wind from the lake, and his body once again flew up.
The second step crossed out more than thirty metres away, and the third step crossed out more than forty metres ……
When Zhang Ruochen took the third step, he completely surpassed Zuo Longlin and flew to the front.
Zuo Longlin stood on top of the wooden boat, staring at Zhang Ruochen who was leaping over the lake, stunned, “He …… he was able to step on water, how …… is it possible… …”
Even the one young girl at the Lake Pavilion was stunned, staring at the heroic form of the young man who was leaping across the lake, she really couldn’t figure out how he did it?
Right at this moment, Zhang Ruochen stepped out with his fifth step, his body was like a leaf as he gently landed outside the Lake Pavilion, “Your Highness, County Lord, this is my gift to you!”
Subsequently, Zuo Longlin also reached the shore and presented the glazed box in his hands with both hands, saying, “Your Highness the County Lord, please accept my gift.”
The one young girl standing in the pavilion gently blinked her eyes, revealing an odd smile.
……
