Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 573 - 573 0381 Junior National Master_2

Chapter 573: Chapter 0381: Junior National Master_2 Chapter 573: Chapter 0381: Junior National Master_2 “Great Elder, please, let’s go back and apologize to Qi Tian first. This time, we’ve hurt Qi Tian’s feelings severely. We can’t neglect to give him an explanation,” Hao Wenxi advised.

“Yes, we should apologize sincerely to Qi Tian.” Great Elder Chen Chen’s eyes regained some sparkles. He also realised how unfavorable the situation was for the Imperial Master Mansion. Those hidden enemies who harbor ill intentions towards the Imperial Master Mansion even dared to impersonate Mansion Master Xiao Xiaowu. Considering what they dared to do, it was imaginable what they wouldn’t dare to do. In such a critical moment, the Imperial Master Mansion needed a leader. He, the Great Elder, couldn’t fulfill that role, nor could Hao Wenxi and Luo Xia. Only Qi Tian had the ability and competence.

“Let’s go back quickly, apologize sincerely to Qi Tian, and beg Qi Tian not to abandon us.” Great Elder Chen Chen said.

Great Elder Chen Chen and Hao Wenxi hurriedly went back to Lubei County and returned to the Imperial Master Mansion. They called all the elders and lords together, explained the urgency of the matter, and all the elders and lords became anxious. They quickly gathered together and went to the County Master Mansion. Under the lead of Great Elder Chen Chen, they all knelt outside the County Master Mansion.

If they didn’t kneel, how could they show their sincerity in apologizing?

Lu Jingfei was on duty today. Seeing more than dozens of people clustered outside the County Master Mansion, he was startled and rushed over. “What are you doing? Don’t you know that the master is in closed-door cultivation? If you disturb the master, who will take the responsibility, you or me?”

Prior to this, Great Elder Chen Chen would never pay attention to Lu Jingfei. He was the esteemed Great Elder of the Imperial Master Mansion, while Lu Jingfei was only a patriarch of a cultivator family in Great Zhao. Lu Jingfei had only reached the ninth level of Foundation Establishment by relying on time. There was no comparison between the two. However, now, Great Elder Chen Chen was the one in the wrong. His cultivation realm was still the ninth level of Foundation Establishment, while Lu Jingfei had become a follower of Qi Tian. His cultivation realm had even reached the Pseudo Core Realm. Which aspect was not stronger than him?

Great Elder Chen Chen could only kneel on the ground, straighten his upper body, and bow to Lu Jingfei, “Chief Lu, could you please inform Qi Tian when it’s convenient that we are here to apologize.”

Hao Wenxi added, “Please rest assured, Chief Lu, we won’t disturb Qi Tian’s cultivation. We can inform him after his closed-door cultivation ends.”

Lu Jingfei shook his head, “If you knew it would come to this, why did you do it in the first place? Master Hao, don’t blame me for speaking out. Do you not understand the master better than anyone else? Ask your heart, how has the master been toward you and Lord Luo? Also, don’t forget, you all swore to the master that you would obey his orders before he broke through the Golden Core. When you attacked the County Master Mansion, did you think about this oath? It was only because the master was merciful and prioritized the big picture and considered fraternal affection that he didn’t let the oath backfire on you. If it were me, I would make you taste how worse than death feels.”

…

Capital city of Great Zhao, Crown Prince Palace.

The Crown Prince was holding the information sent by the Taichang Temple, his face darkened to the extreme.

“Incompetents, they are all incompetents.”

The minister of the Taichang Temple, Li Dan, who was in his seventies, knelt on the ground, his head touching the ground, not daring to look at Qi Tian who was in a rage.

The Crown Prince looked at Li Dan with disdain, he still didn’t understand why his father, Emperor Rui, would choose a mundane man to hold the official institution of Great Zhao which governed all the cultivator forces in the world.

“Minister Li, if I remember correctly, you are already seventy-six, aren’t you? At your age, can you still handle the heavy workload of the Taichang Temple?” The Crown Prince asked coldly.

Li Dan was not a fool. Hearing the Crown Prince’s words, he knew what the Crown Prince meant. He hurriedly removed his official hat from his head and handed it to the Crown Prince, “Your Highness, I feel my age and am powerless. I am unable to handle various tasks assigned by the court. In order not to delay important military affairs, I am willing to resign. Please approve my request, Your Highness.”

The Crown Prince didn’t even bother with the pretence of courtesy. He accepted the official hat and said, “Good, I approve of your resignation. But, Sir Li, rest assured, I will not short-change you. I will grant you the title of Earl Anning so you can live out your old age in peace.”

Li Dan bowed to the Crown Prince and then left the Crown Prince’s Palace.

Watching the retreating figure of Li Dan, the Crown Prince sneered, “A useless man who occupies a space but does nothing productive. If it weren’t for the need to placate the old officials in court, I’d seize your home.”

After disparaging Li Dan, the Crown Prince picked up an intelligence report on his desk and his expression grew increasingly gloomy. The report from a spy placed in the Imperial Master Mansion revealed that the third Gold Core powerhouse he and Chen Wenbo had spent a great deal of money to employ had met the same fate as Xu Yanpeng, Liu Ziyan, and Meng Fandong. All of them had died at the hands of Qi Tian.

This was the third Gold Core expert to die at the hands of Qi Tian. Although they were all only at the Gold Core First Level, they varied in strength, each stronger than the last. However, not one of them had been able to eliminate Qi Tian who remained a thorn in his side.

The muscles on the Crown Prince’s face twitched. He and Chen Wenbo had paid a hefty price to hire these three Gold Core experts and his own private treasury was almost depleted.

The Crown Prince waved to call a eunuch over, instructing him, “Go see Chen Wenbo for me, tell him to come see me.”

Chen Wenbo, who had been residing in the Capital City recently, rushed over immediately upon receiving the Crown Prince’s request.

“Your Highness, I already know.”

“Hmph, look at the caliber of people you’ve hired! Every single one of them is useless, good-for-nothings. I’ve poured so many cultivation resources into it, enough to form a mountain made of gold. I could have used this gold to kill people just by throwing it at them. But look, not even a splash was made.” the Crown Prince grumbled.

Chen Wenbo’s expression was equally grim; his losses were no less than the Crown Prince’s, perhaps even greater. “Your Highness, I’ve studied Qi Tian’s combat power. I’m afraid this brat already has the strength comparable to that of a top-tier Gold Core First Level cultivator. If we want to suppress him, we will have to ask a frontline expert of the Gold Core Second Level to take action. If we want to ensure victory, we need to get a top-level expert among Gold Core Second Level.”

“Gold Core Second Level? Are you joking? Our greatest cultivator in Great Zhao is the Three Great National Masters, and they are just at the Gold Core Second Level. If you bring in one more, wouldn’t that be leading the wolf into the room? Besides, a Gold Core Second Level cultivator would definitely command a higher fee. Do you have enough cultivation resources to tempt them?” the Crown Prince asked.

Chen Wenbo gritted his teeth, “In terms of cultivation resources, we can somehow squeeze some out by tightening our belts and pooling everywhere. However, in this aspect, Your Highness also has to share the cost with me.”

The Crown Prince responded, “You can forget it. My private treasury has already been almost emptied by you. Don’t even think about extorting money from me.”

As Chen Wenbo was about to negotiate further with the Crown Prince, suddenly, someone outside the hall announced, “Your Highness, the Crown Prince, National Master Sun is seeking an audience.”

Both Chen Wenbo and the Crown Prince were taken aback. In Great Zhao, although there were three Great National Masters, only one person could be referred to as “National Master Sun”, that was Sun Xingbiao, official heir to the National Master of National Master Manor and concurrently the junior mansion master. His title of National Master Sun was not self-appointed; Emperor Tian Rui had conferred it upon him during a banquet in front of officials from the entire court.

At that time, Sun Xingbiao was already at the Half-step Golden Core stage, the first among his generation of cultivators to reach that stage. However, after that, he seemed to stagnate and there was no improvement in his cultivation. Now, what could have prompted him to come visiting suddenly?