Chapter 8: A Royal Invitation and a Father’s Gambit

“Please, honored guest, come this way~”

What sensation washes over you when greeted by rows of exquisitely beautiful maids, their figures graceful, their smiles sweet, and their attire refined and luxurious?

Indeed, it can be summed up in a single word: exhilarating.

In two words: utterly exhilarating.

And in three: ‘Oh, so high~’ Lan Wu Xi felt as if his life had reached its zenith, as though he had scaled the very peak of existence.

No wonder it was said that the King of Yunxiao possessed a harem teeming with over a hundred beauties; it was hardly surprising. Anyone constantly surrounded by such alluring women would inevitably develop certain inclinations, let alone a monarch.

It was common knowledge that polygamy was far from rare in the cultivation world. Lan Wu Xi recalled that, in his memory, the protagonist Yun Jingping alone had three fiancées, one of whom was a mere maidservant who fetched him tea and water, even washed his feet. In Lan Wu Xi’s words, she was akin to a child bride.

Lan Wu Xi finally understood. This was the life of high society. Compared to this, the grand banquets he had attended previously seemed like a world apart. Yet, upon reflection, it made sense; a mere feast hosted by a few merchant families could never rival one held by the royal palace. They simply existed on different planes of existence, the former utterly insignificant before the latter.

“Young Master Lan, this must be your first time attending such a banquet, isn’t it? There’s no need to be overly nervous or so reserved.”

The man who had just spoken to him was now leading him toward the banquet hall. After a brief exchange, Lan Wu Xi confirmed that he was indeed representing his family at some sort of banquet. This elaborate setup was far from the easy-to-deceive affairs of the past; if he approached it with his usual mindset, he would undoubtedly suffer a great loss.

“Uh… is that so? I merely have a naturally sweaty constitution. Alas, this weather is simply too hot.”

Lan Wu Xi fanned the imaginary sweat from his forehead with his hand, feigning composure as he turned his head to pretend to admire the scenery.

‘Damn it, did I expose myself so quickly? As expected of the royal palace staff, they saw through my disguise with such ease.’

“Is that right~? Young Master Lan is truly humorous. Who doesn’t know it’s the season of frost right now? Where would this heat come from?”

The man chuckled softly, while the other attendants trailing behind Lan Wu Xi subtly covered their mouths to stifle their laughter. Lan Wu Xi’s old face instantly flushed crimson, realizing then that he was still far too nervous. His previously stiff, duck-like gait finally began to normalize.

“I heard that Young Master is a disciple of Xuanfeng Manor?”

“Yes, and you are…?”

“Haha, I merely found it curious. Many disciples from your Xuanfeng Manor have arrived at the royal palace today. I simply asked because you seemed unfamiliar to me, as it’s quite rare for so many sect disciples to gather together within our royal palace.”

“Many disciples from our Xuanfeng Manor have arrived?”

‘Lan Wu Xi’s eyebrows arched, his mind still filled with doubt. From the sound of it, the banquet wasn’t just for disciples from their sect; there might even be disciples from other sects present.

It was a known fact that while there were no direct conflicts of interest between the royal family and the cultivation sects, friction often arose over various issues. Consequently, the royal family had always held a certain disdain for sect members.

Moreover, these sects occupied prime land within the capital and recruited talents who should have become the nation’s fresh blood, significantly hindering the empire’s growth. Gradually, the issues between the royal family and the sects grew more contentious, and over time, this would inevitably become a major hidden affliction for the empire’s long-term development.

Fortunately, the King of Yunxiao was a Nascent Soul realm expert, which prevented the sects from becoming overly presumptuous. In fact, every year they would voluntarily offer treasures like spirit crystals as gifts to the state, signifying their respect for the royal family. Of course, all of this hinged on the royal family having a Nascent Soul expert as a protective umbrella.

In reality, the Yunxiao royal family had begun to show signs of decline. Only the older generation of powerhouses still propped up the royal house. Ever since Yunxiao Yu burst onto the scene—now the current ruler of the Yunxiao royal family—and cultivated to the Nascent Soul realm, no other exceptional talents had emerged from the royal family. Rumor had it that the royal princes were all consumed by lavish enjoyment, their strength mediocre, utterly incapable of upholding the Yunxiao royal family’s backbone.

However, the Yunxiao royal family, being immensely wealthy, had decided that if no exceptionally talented young generation emerged, they would simply create one.

Thus, all the heavenly treasures and earthly wonders were poured into the few princes of the Yunxiao royal family who possessed even passable talent. After all, they had the money to be capricious; the poor relied on fate, while the rich relied on wealth.

One could only say that one reaped what one sowed. Even if the land was so barren that no one would bother with it, constantly drenching it with vast amounts of precious “fertilizer” as nourishment could, even for a piece of waste material, force out some semblance of growth. Indeed, perseverance paid off, and Yunxiao’s Third Prince, Yun Tianqi, finally succeeded in breaking through the Profound Wheel realm and entering the Golden Core stage before the age of eighteen, thereby preserving a sliver of the royal family’s dignity.

Nevertheless, for so many sect disciples to suddenly gather in the grand royal palace was truly rare. Even Lan Wu Xi’s heart grew increasingly convinced that this matter was far from simple.

‘I knew that old fellow wouldn’t let me off so easily; he had a plan all along.’

Thinking this, Lan Wu Xi vigorously scratched his hair, a sense of irritation beginning to brew within him. He had somehow stumbled into such a major predicament, and now he was expected to provoke a prince? Even seeking death had its proper methods, and this was certainly not one of them.

At the Lan family mansion, Lan Baotian was playing chess with Elder Huang. Though Lan Baotian presented himself with the learned demeanor of a scholar, he was, in fact, utterly illiterate. His belly wasn’t filled with academic wisdom but rather a carriage-load of lewd jokes accumulated from his past adventures as a wandering vigilante.

Of course, even Lan Wu Xi, who lived under the same roof, was unaware of this. In Lan Wu Xi’s mind, his father had always been a strict, ordinary man who merely adhered to convention. He never would have imagined his father once had such an astonishing past.

“By now, that boy should have arrived, shouldn’t he?”

“Heh heh, it truly is something that you’re his father, yet you didn’t even tell him what he was going for. Aren’t you afraid he’ll embarrass you there?”

Elder Huang moved a piece, then chuckled.

“I know my child. While that fellow might be a bit foolish, he wouldn’t go to that extent. This time is purely for his training. His biggest flaw is his lack of composure; he panics at the slightest thing. Moreover, he seems to be naturally insecure about his own strength, lacking the aura a powerhouse should possess. These things could become stumbling blocks for him in the future.”

Lan Baotian shook his head helplessly. He couldn’t understand why his son was born lacking the natural assertiveness a young person should have. When encountering someone whose background was unclear, he immediately became timid and lacked any confidence in his own strength. Even after becoming a core disciple of Xuanfeng Manor, he showed no excitement whatsoever. While humility and lack of conceit were good, excessive modesty was not necessarily a virtue.

“Oh? But I believe your boy is far less simple than you imagine. Trust me, my judgment of people has always been accurate!”

Elder Huang laughed, then glanced at the chessboard, a smile instantly spreading across his aged face.

“Oh~, checkmate! Hahahaha, Lan Baotian, this is the fourth game you’ve lost to me today.”

Unstoppable laughter erupted from Elder Huang, while Lan Baotian’s face turned ashen. He had, after all, styled himself as the Yunxiao Kingdom’s number one chess player, never having tasted defeat until now.

Of course, Lan Baotian usually only played with his wife and had never played with anyone else.

But today, he had lost four consecutive games. If this got out, wouldn’t he become the laughingstock of everyone?

“Hmph, it’s merely luck. Old man, don’t get too smug. Just watch how I’ll beat you this time!”

Lan Baotian pouted, then theatrically rolled up his sleeves and crossed his legs, performing actions utterly incongruous with his image.

“Hahahaha, I’ve already beaten you four times. Playing like this is getting boring. How about we make a wager?”

“Bring it on! But let me state upfront, if I win, I want the jade pot from your main hall. I’ve coveted that treasure for who knows how long.”

“Fine! But what if you lose?”

“Hmph, that’s simply impossible. At worst, I’ll just bet my son to you~”

Lan Baotian spread his hands, an air of nonchalance about him, his face showing no hint of embarrassment from his four consecutive losses. Was it confidence, or simply thick skin…

“Hey, explain yourself clearly. What do you mean ‘bet my son to you’? What would I do with your son?”

Elder Huang spoke with displeasure, then gently waved his palm over the chessboard. A subtle burst of spiritual energy emanated from the board, revealing tiny hands formed of spiritual power meticulously returning each chess piece to its correct position.

Such precise and skilled control over spiritual energy was no simple feat. But Lan Baotian let out a snort of laughter, slamming his palm down on the chessboard. Instantly, the spiritual energy on the board vanished completely, and the chess pieces were sent flying into the air. Lan Baotian then clenched his hand, and faint, visible gusts of spiritual wind gently lowered the airborne chessboard, with each piece accurately falling into its corresponding spot, without the slightest deviation.

“I’m telling you, when you bet with me, it’s not about what I *give*, but what I *have*!”

Lan Baotian stomped his foot onto the stone table, pointing at himself with an arrogant swagger. It was clear he had no intention of paying if he lost. Such behavior, if displayed publicly, would surely land him in the Hall of Judgment.

“Isn’t that just cheating? Fine, if I win, I’ll make that boy of yours serve me tea and water, wait on me hand and foot until I’m perfectly comfortable, and then I’ll kick him out!”

Elder Huang, losing his composure in anger, extended a single hand. A palm formed of spiritual energy grasped a chess piece, making the first move that symbolized Lan Wu Xi’s future fate.