Lukas von Avetide chuckled, brushing aside the tension with an airy wave of his fan.
"Haha, don’t be silly," he said with a bright laugh. "I was just joking. How could I say sothing like that during a celebration."
The laughter rang clear, but not everyone smiled.
Standing a pace behind him, Teacher Ian remained still—face unreadable, eyes laced with quiet exhaustion.
He nodded slowly, but said nothing. His silence spoke volus: he had long since tired of the prince’s gas.
Across from them, Xie Lin curtsied with practiced elegance. She lifted her skirt slightly and bowed her head.
"Xie Lin greets His Highness, the Crown Prince."
The entire courtyard remained silent—holding its collective breath in reverence and calculation.
Fang Yuan’s expression didn’t shift. His lips tugged upward ever so slightly.
"Haha... That was a nice joke, Your Highness," he said, tone light, though no laughter reached his eyes.
Lukas turned toward him again, smiling that princely smile.
"Oh, I wasn’t joking," he said casually. "At least... I hope I wasn’t."
That hung in the air like a dagger balanced on a string.
Fang Yuan paused. Then nodded once, slow and sure.
"I see."
The prince held his gaze a mont longer—then returned the nod, almost cheerful in his withdrawal, before finally shifting his attention back to Xie Lin.
"Miss Xie," he began, voice warm and conversational, "I wonder... would your esteed master be willing to attend my birthday banquet next month?"
Fang Yuan chuckled softly as he listened to the Crown Prince’s invitation.
A birthday banquet , hm?
For a mont, he wondered if the prince would also invite him and asked him to gift him the Spirit Pond while he was at it.
His gaze swept lazily across the courtyard.
The request was posed lightly, almost offhanded—yet everyone present understood the weight behind it.
An invitation from the Crown Prince was no small matter.
An expectation from him... even less so.
Xie Lin’s lashes lowered slightly as she offered a demure smile. She dipped her head in a respectful bow.
"Your Highness is too kind," she replied with a graceful smile.
"However, as you may know... my master seldom leaves seclusion. Once he begins a refinent session, not even the end of the world could draw him away."
Lukas’s smile thinned for a fraction of a second. "Ah... a pity."
Xie Lin continued smoothly, her voice calm but careful. "However, if it pleases Your Highness, I can humbly extend your invitation. Whether he responds is, of course, up to him."
She said it beautifully.
Not a rejection. Not a promise.
A perfect deflection.
Still, Lukas seed content with the answer, even if his eyes glimred with disappointnt.
"Haha, I suppose that’s the best I can hope for," he said. "Tell your master that the Empire rembers those who attend... and those who decline."
The words were pleasant.
But everyone heard the warning woven beneath.
Xie Lin rely bowed again.
"I will convey your words exactly, Your Highness."
"Good," Lukas said, smiling once more like nothing had happened. He turned, his fan snapping open with a soft flick.
Lukas turned to Fang Yuan, folding his fan with a quiet snap.
"A sha, but I must take my leave," he said with a courteous bow. "Sothing urgent ca up."
His tone was pleasant, but the glint in his eye still carried a trace of mischief, like a man who had tossed a firework into a pond just to watch the splash.
Fang Yuan returned the bow with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Of course, Your Highness. I’ll be sure to save you a bottle of Coldwind’s finest wine for your return."
Even if he had no interest in the Crown Prince’s gas, the empire’s shadow stretched long and Lukas’s favor could shift entire alliances with a smile.
The Crown Prince chuckled, giving a final nod to the gathered guests before turning on his heel.
Teacher Ian trailed behind him, his expression unreadable, the weight of royal nonsense clearly pressing heavily on his soul.
The mont the two vanished beyond the estate gates, the tension in the pavilion seed to evaporate with them—like a collective exhale after holding one’s breath too long.
Fang Yuan turned back toward the crowd, his sleeves brushing lightly at his sides.
"Now then," he said, loud enough for all to hear, "where were we?"
Musicians scrambled to resu their rhythm. Plates of steaming food reappeared like magic.
Wine flowed faster than gossip, and laughter began to return to the corners of the room.
And the banquet resud once more.
Fang Yuan smiled faintly and sipped from his cup, eyes flicking toward the bloodstain they still hadn’t quite scrubbed out.
He humd, satisfied.
Yes.
Everything was exactly as it should be.
Fang Yuan leaned back in his chair, swirling the wine in his cup absently as the warm hum of the resud banquet echoed in the distance.
With a thought, he opened the System Interface once more.
Host: Fang Yuan
Realm: Peak Nascent Soul
Talent: Heavenly Root
Martial Techniques:
• Swift Step Footwork (Low-grade Black)
• Golden Shell Armor (Mid-grade Black)
• Tyrant’s Light Sword (Low-grade Black)
He flicked his gaze to the glowing tab pulsing softly in the corner.
[System Shop – Tap to Open.]
Tap.
The shop interface unfolded like a celestial scroll, clean lines and glowing icons appearing before him.
His eyes were imdiately drawn to the glowing currency box at the top.
[System Points: 1,000]
Then ca the items—listed neatly, rows of glowing pill icons arranged with elegant simplicity.
[Shop Inventory]
Bone Marrow Pill — 1,000 SP
Golden Core Pill — 500 SP
Qi Transformation Pill — 200 SP
Qi Condensation Pill — 100 SP
Qi Realization Pill — 50 SP
Fang Yuan scrolled further.
At the bottom of the list, two more items stood out like dragons among rabbits.
Nascent Soul Realm Pill — 5,000 SP
Hollow Spirit Pill — ??? SP
[UNLOCK REQUIRENTS NOT T]
Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes at the Hollow Spirit Pill entry.
"...Hmm."
He tried tapping it but all that flashed was a ssage:
[ Insufficient system authority to view this item. ]
"Tch."
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