Immortal God of War-Chapter 736 - 701: Do you talk too much?_1
The Eldest Prince and Zhuge Mingyang both looked at Qin Feiyang with anticipation. They were quite confident about the offer they had proposed. Being a guest of honor represented the most respected individual and carried extraordinary significance. This was especially true for the Eldest Prince, the current Crown Prince of the Great Qin Empire, which further amplified the importance of the title ’guest of honor.’ Therefore, in their view, Qin Feiyang had no reason to refuse.
But Qin Feiyang remained silent.
At that moment, Lu Hong pushed the door open and entered, followed by more than a dozen servants. Each servant held a tray laden with an array of dishes.
Upon seeing this, the Eldest Prince and Zhuge Mingyang quickly turned their heads, not wanting the servants to recognize them.
Once all the dishes were on the table, Lu Hong dismissed the servants and closed the door.
Qin Feiyang also rose and smiled, "Let’s eat and talk." With that, he walked towards the dining table.
"This..." The Eldest Prince was somewhat at a loss and turned to Zhuge Mingyang.
"Don’t be anxious," Zhuge Mingyang transmitted. "He didn’t refuse outright, which means he’s still considering it."
The Eldest Prince sighed in relief and asked in a low voice, "Should we add more benefits?"
Zhuge Mingyang replied, "First, tell me, what can you add?"
The Eldest Prince suggested, "Wealth? Treasures?"
"Your Highness, you view him too simply," Zhuge Mingyang said, shaking his head with a laugh. "He can even refine something as heaven-defying as the Potential Elixir. Would he be lacking these things?"
"Then what should we do?" The Eldest Prince frowned, somewhat annoyed. This person was like a mystery veiled in mist, always eluding comprehension.
"Let’s have a few drinks with him first!" Zhuge Mingyang rose, stepped aside, and gestured with a smile, "Your Highness, please."
The Eldest Prince glanced at him, then stood up and strode into the dining area.
Qin Feiyang, standing by the dining table, extended a hand. "Please, have a seat, both of you."
The two men smiled faintly and sat down one after the other. Qin Feiyang, without ceremony, took the main seat and smiled. "Lu Hong, pour the wine."
Lu Hong obediently filled the wine cups before the three of them.
Qin Feiyang raised his cup, looked at the Eldest Prince and Zhuge Mingyang, and smiled. "I am new to your esteemed land and fortunate to have met you both. I hope you’ll look after me in the future."
The Eldest Prince chuckled. "With your abilities, Brother Qin, would you truly need our care?"
"Indeed!" Zhuge Mingyang added with a light smile. "From now on, we are the ones who will need your care."
"No, no," Qin Feiyang countered. "One of you is the Crown Prince of the current empire, and the other was once hailed as the foremost prodigy of the Imperial Capital. It is my honor to meet you both. I will drink first as a sign of respect."
After speaking, Qin Feiyang drained his cup in one go.
The Eldest Prince and Zhuge Mingyang exchanged a glance and also finished their wine.
Afterward, Zhuge Mingyang set down his cup and said with a laugh, "Brother Qin, your information network is truly impressive! You found out our backgrounds so quickly."
Qin Feiyang replied, "I don’t have many hobbies, just a penchant for casual inquiries. I hope Brother Zhuge doesn’t mind."
"Not at all, not at all," Zhuge Mingyang quickly waved his hand and asked with a smile, "And what else did Brother Qin find out?"
"Not much," Qin Feiyang said. "However, there is one person I find quite interesting."
"Who might that be?" Zhuge Mingyang inquired.
"The current Fourteenth Royal Prince," Qin Feiyang stated calmly, carefully observing their expressions.
The result was as he expected. Upon hearing this name, both of their expressions noticeably changed.
"From what I’ve gathered," Qin Feiyang continued, "this Fourteenth Royal Prince was exceptionally gifted, perhaps even more so than Brother Zhuge. Logically, such a person should be quite famous by now. Why is it that I heard no tales of him in the Temple?" He eyed them both suspiciously.
Zhuge Mingyang glanced at the Eldest Prince and remained silent.
The Eldest Prince’s expression was unsettled, but he finally managed a smile. "This isn’t much of a secret; there’s no harm in telling Brother Qin. My fourteenth brother is indeed exceptionally talented. But more than a decade ago, our Father Emperor suddenly ordered his cultivation to be nullified and had him expelled from the Imperial Capital. Now, he might be living an ordinary life somewhere, or perhaps... he has already passed away young." The Eldest Prince sighed, a hint of undeniable pain and regret in his eyes.
"For such a radiant talent to fall into obscurity, it is truly a pity," Qin Feiyang remarked. "But I still don’t understand..." He paused, looking at the Eldest Prince. "I wonder if I should ask this next question?"
The Eldest Prince said, "Feel free to ask."
"Then I shall," Qin Feiyang said. "As the saying goes, ’Even a vicious tiger doesn’t eat its own cubs.’ Why would the current Emperor do such a thing?"
On the surface, I appear merely curious, Qin Feiyang thought, but this question has troubled me for over a decade. He was actually extremely tense, hoping to find the answer from the Eldest Prince.
But the outcome was disappointing.
The Eldest Prince shook his head. "To be honest, this matter has always puzzled me as well."
"Indeed!" Zhuge Mingyang chimed in. "I remember vividly. Back then, the Fourteenth Royal Prince reached the Nine-Star martial master realm at the tender age of ten. Many old masters of that era praised him endlessly, and the Emperor doted on him. Even the title I once held as the foremost prodigy in the Imperial Capital was taken by him. But no one expected it to end in such a tragedy. Perhaps this is what they mean when they say ’Heaven envies talent’!" Zhuge Mingyang sighed deeply.
"Heaven envies talent?" Qin Feiyang scoffed inwardly. I’d die before believing the Emperor would harm me without reason. There must be a significant secret behind this.
Then, the Eldest Prince’s expression turned serious. "Brother Qin, let’s end this topic here."
"Why?" Qin Feiyang asked, suspicious.
"Brother Qin may not know," the Eldest Prince said in a low voice. "Regarding my fourteenth brother, my Father Emperor issued a gag order more than a decade ago. No one is allowed to mention him. Violators will be executed without question! Since then, my fourteenth brother has essentially become a taboo subject in the Imperial Capital."
A gag order? Qin Feiyang seethed internally. If you dared to do it, why fear people discussing it?
Outwardly, however, he showed no sign of his turmoil. He cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness."
With that, Qin Feiyang raised his wine cup again and smiled. "Allow me to toast you both again."
"You’re too kind," the two replied, raising their cups with forced smiles.
Next, the three of them drank and chatted idly. Qin Feiyang, however, did not mention the matter of becoming a guest of honor again. The Eldest Prince brought it up several times, but Qin Feiyang skillfully diverted the conversation each time.
Lu Hong, sitting nearby, was filled with confusion. Wasn’t becoming a guest of honor what Qin Feiyang hoped for? Why isn’t he agreeing? What on earth is he thinking?
After three rounds of drinks, a sudden BANG!! broke the silence as someone knocked on the door.
"Hm?" The four of them immediately stopped talking and looked towards the door.
Just as Qin Feiyang was about to speak, the Eldest Prince hurriedly said, "Wait, let us hide." He and Zhuge Mingyang then rose and walked into the innermost bedroom, concealing themselves behind a screen.
Qin Feiyang smiled meaningfully and said calmly, "Come in."
The door was pushed open, and two young men dressed in black strode into the private chamber, closing the door behind them. Both wore masks.
Based on their builds and auras, they should be Lin Dian and the Thirteenth Prince, Qin Feiyang deduced, despite the masks.
He glanced at them and asked suspiciously, "And who might you two be?"
The two men directly removed their masks.
Qin Feiyang quickly rose, cupped his hands, and said, "So it is His Highness the Thirteenth Prince. My apologies for not recognizing you."
"Cut the pleasantries," the Thirteenth Prince said, giving him a cold look. He walked to the dining table, noticed two used wine cups, and frowned. "Were you entertaining guests?"
Qin Feiyang returned to his seat and nodded. "Yes."
"Who were they? And where are they now?" the Thirteenth Prince demanded, his gaze sweeping suspiciously around the private chamber.
Qin Feiyang replied, "They have already left. As for who they were, I am not at liberty to say. Does Your Highness have business with me?"
Lin Dian frowned, his tone icy. "Qin Feiyang, I’m warning you, don’t be so arrogant!"
Qin Feiyang glanced at him indifferently. "Compared to you two, I am far lacking. So, do you have business with me or not? If not, please leave."
"You..." Lin Dian was furious and about to erupt.
But at that moment, the Thirteenth Prince raised a hand, stopping Lin Dian. He sat opposite Qin Feiyang and said, "It is true that I was somewhat impetuous at the Temple. I ask for your magnanimity."
"Hah!" Qin Feiyang smirked. "Is Your Highness apologizing to me?"
A flicker of anger crossed the Thirteenth Prince’s brow. "If you say so, then yes."
Qin Feiyang smiled. "Since it’s an apology, shouldn’t there be an apologetic demeanor? After all, I don’t owe you anything."
Lin Dian’s hands clenched, his voice dark. "His Highness came personally to apologize to you; that’s already giving you more than enough face. Don’t push your luck!"
"And who are you? Do you have the right to speak here?" Qin Feiyang retorted. "Got a smart mouth, don’t you? In that case, the door is right behind you. I won’t see you out." He gave a cold smile and pointed към the door, his face expressionless.
"You’re courting death!" Lin Dian snarled, his face turning livid.
"Shut up!" the Thirteenth Prince snapped, turning to glare impatiently at Lin Dian.
"Yes," Lin Dian responded respectfully, his neck seeming to shrink as he obediently stepped aside.
The Thirteenth Prince turned back to Qin Feiyang. "This Prince doesn’t want to waste any more words. I didn’t come this time for the Potential Elixir’s Elixir Formula. I came to propose a collaboration with Brother Qin."
"Collaboration?" Qin Feiyang was momentarily stunned, then asked suspiciously, "You are a prince, and I am merely a commoner. Our statuses are worlds apart. What could we possibly collaborate on?" The sarcasm in his voice was unconcealed.
The Thirteenth Prince naturally heard it. Suppressing his anger, he said, "I believe Brother Qin has heard the saying: in this world, there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests."
"Indeed," Qin Feiyang nodded.
The Thirteenth Prince continued, "And the interests This Prince is speaking of are something you couldn’t earn in a lifetime."
