Great! I'm surrounded by villains!
Chapter 147 - 67: "The King

Chapter 147: Chapter 67: "The King

Ying Tian was in a good mood today, and not long after he stepped out of the classroom, he received a notice announcing the cancellation of "Swordsmanship Class" for a month.

The teacher of the class claimed that he needed to dedicate himself to research.

"Mingyuan teacher, I think you might as well stay in the Imperial Court to teach the ’Swordsmanship Class’,"

Ying Tian suddenly extended the invitation, "As long as you are willing, the position is yours for the taking."

That way, he wouldn’t have to pretend to sleep with a dummy in class anymore. A person well-versed in the Sword Control Technique, capable of teaching according to individual aptitude, and who also told him to buy a flagship, was precisely what the Imperial Court needed now.

"No, I still have work to attend to, and I came to the Imperial Court this time to deal with important matters,"

Duan Mingyuan declined politely. Although the Yunhai Academy did not sign a breach of contract, he preferred the atmosphere at the academy over the undercurrents stirring in the Imperial Court.

His life goal was not to become a teacher for the Royal Family.

"Oh? What important matters? Feel free to talk about it, perhaps I can be of help."

"Rebuilding the Royal Hunting Court."

"The Royal Hunting Court..."

Ying Tian chuckled awkwardly; it was one of the few things he could not help with. "I heard that the Royal Hunting Court suffered a major incident some years ago. Wangxu massacred the Royal Hunting Court, all the higher-ups perished in the attack, and since then, the hunting profession has gone into decline."

However, he soon thought, for a matter serious enough to bring a person like Duan Mingyuan to the Imperial Court, it surely wasn’t a trivial affair they could handle with ease.

As far as he knew, after the downfall of the Royal Hunting Court, there were a few hunters who continued their former livelihoods, but due to the loss of overall planning and intelligence support, they suffered heavy casualties on various commissions; those fortunate enough to survive also drifted away from the profession.

The reason Ying Tian was aware of these details was that he had considered taking in the hunter community after the fall of the Royal Hunting Court. Unfortunately, negotiations did not go smoothly, presumably because of the Royal Hunting Court’s influence; most of the remaining hunters were strongly hostile towards the Imperial Court and the Extraterrestrials. After hearing their intents, they were driven away.

"Later on, the Universe Company stepped in, and everyone else had to cleverly step aside."

One of the most important tips for surviving in the Imperial Court is never to go against the Universe Company.

Meanwhile, Ying Tian glanced at the Elder Princess, "This implies that the Elder Princess’s supporters are the academy and the Royal Hunting Court."

"This is just my plan, and now there are hardly any people left in the Royal Hunting Court."

If it came to a vote, they certainly wouldn’t stand a chance against the others. However, Duan Mingyuan had no intention of getting involved in the political struggle of the Imperial Court from the outset. His only aim was to ensure the safety of Ning Ruyue, his student. If she failed to succeed the Prime Monarch, he would then fulfill the agreement with Dean Su Yunru and escort her back to Yunhai Academy.

Actually, this could also turn out to be a blessing for Ning Ruyue.

Sword Intent is a reflection of one’s state of mind. The piece Elder Princess played just now wowed the audience but also precisely showed that her heart was not in it—the competition for the throne was more about external pressures and circumstances.

However, for the various forces within the Imperial Court, that did not matter.

They only needed to know that the Elder Princess had returned and had defeated Second Prince Ying Xin in the academy’s struggle.

Naturally, those opposed to the Second Prince would flock to her en masse.

Several people successively entered the VIP room that Ying Tian had reserved. Once the door of the room closed and isolated the noise outside, Ying Tian suddenly spoke up, "However, I know someone who might be able to help you."

"Who?"

"The Prime Monarch."

At the crux of it all, the Prime Monarch had orchestrated this fiasco over the struggle for the throne.

The aging ruler no longer wished to be a puppet for the company, and so the Extraterrestrials had to select a new qualified Heir.

If the new Royal Hunting Court did not wish to engage in a "mutually beneficial" relationship with the company, then there was only one path left under the heavens.

Unless, of course, the new leader of the Royal Hunting Court did not mind public perception or care about being seen as a terrorist organization.

Logically speaking, Ying Tian felt he shouldn’t have said those words to Duan Mingyuan. If their current conversation were overheard by the Extraterrestrials, it could bring him considerable trouble.

But then, who made him take a liking to Duan Mingyuan?

Duan Mingyuan thought he was a reactionary, and he likewise thought Duan Mingyuan was not to be underestimated.

In these times, anyone who dared to suggest in a "Swordsmanship Class" classroom that he buy a flagship and go toe-to-toe with Universe Company in a trump card aerial battle was either a fool or a real hardcore player.

"I wish the new Royal Hunting Court martial fortune."

Ying Tian took his seat and picked out a fine bottle of wine to place on the table, "Miss September is probably almost ready by now. When the theater was built, I consulted many resources to achieve its current appearance."

The VIP box was located in the theater, and at this moment, the stage below was already filled with people.

Ning Ruyue scanned the crowd and saw many familiar faces. People were holding wine glasses, their seemingly amicable conversations hiding daggers, turning this place into a social venue for the upper echelons of the Imperial Court.

She couldn’t help but be curious, "Did you build all this on your own?"

"On my own? You’re giving me too much credit. During the time you’ve been away from the Imperial Court, I’ve also found some like-minded collaborators."

Ying Tian, holding a stemmed glass, walked to the one-way glass, looking down at the bustling theater, "Not everyone in the Imperial Court is obsessed with power. If Strange Gates and Devious Techniques are put to good use, they can create a lot of value... There’s a drawer in the table with a deck of cards inside. If you’re interested, you could take a look."

Ning Ruyue did as suggested.

The moment her hand touched the card with a yin-yang background, the quietly placed cards seemed to suddenly come to life, and one jumped into her hand.

"Thorns?"

She turned the card over, and said with confusion after seeing it clearly.

"This is the most popular revelation card in the Imperial Court right now. Thorns mean that your path ahead is full of obstacles, but not without a way out. ’After the thorns, a promising future lies ahead.’

"Revelation cards, what are these?"

"Yin Yang Technique."

Upon hearing this, Ning Ruyue paused for a moment, then couldn’t help but take a closer look at the card in her hand.

Being born into the Royal Family, she was naturally not unfamiliar with the Yin Yang Technique. Heirs to the Yin Yang Technique held high positions in the Imperial Court because once they mastered the technique to its pinnacle, they could divine the will of the heavens, and even foresee the future. It was said that whenever the Prime Monarch had to make significant decisions, he would ask an Heir to the Yin Yang Technique to perform a divination.

Thus, the Imperial Court also referred to the Yin Yang Technique as the Emperor’s Technique.

The transmission of the Yin Yang Technique was not a family inheritance. It seemed that because of the act of divining the heavens, the lifespan of the Heirs was short. When they sensed their time in this world was coming to an end, they would find a Closed-door Disciple to retire with and impart all their knowledge.

"The current Heir to the Yin Yang Technique is one of my important collaborators."

"You really don’t want to succeed to the throne?"

Ning Ruyue asked.

She suddenly felt that, compared to the Second Prince, Ying Tian seemed much more suitable.

Even Teacher Mingyuan appeared to favor Ying Tian.

But Ying Tian had always claimed that he had no interest in the struggle for the throne. It was precisely because of this that he managed to find favor with various powers in the Imperial Court.

This theater named Emerald also seemed to have become a large-scale neutral social venue.

"The throne?"

Ying Tian leaned his arms on the rail in front of the glass, his gaze drifting over the crowd on the first floor and settling on the stage, "I already am one, for this here is my kingdom."