"Your Highness flatters . If Your Highness encounters any difficulties in cultivation, I can offer so assistance as well."
"Sigh, the Swan Martial Soul of the Xue family line is fairly ordinary. My own cultivation talent also lacks any particular advantage. Even if I devoted myself fully to cultivation, my achievents in the future would still be limited."
Qian Renxue sighed, pretending to appear helpless and dejected.
Chen Ming rely smiled and did not probe further.
"Would the Duke be willing to continue holding a position within my Crown Prince's residence? With the Duke's current status, there is naturally no need for you to actually handle any affairs. rely holding the title in na would suffice. Should the Duke require anything, I will naturally do my utmost to assist."
"Then I shall trouble Your Highness." Chen Ming did not refuse. Instead, he nodded and said, "Your Highness, after so ti, I intend to develop my hotown, Holy Soul Village. I would ask Your Highness to put in so effort and assign several qualified craftsn and administrators."
It was impossible for Chen Ming to remain in his hotown forever. At most, he would personally design things for a period before allowing others to handle the construction and developnt according to the direction he established.
It was not that Chen Ming could not play at "city-building," but at present he still placed greater importance on improving his own strength. As for developnt, steady progress was enough. As long as the lives of the villagers back ho improved sowhat and he could establish a solid rear base, that would suffice.
"Of course." Qian Renxue was not afraid of Chen Ming asking favors of her. What she feared most was Chen Ming having no desires at all and keeping his distance from her identity as Crown Prince.
rely assigning so craftsn and administrators was hardly a problem for Qian Renxue, who had managed affairs within the Heaven Dou Empire for twenty years.
However, as she spoke, Qian Renxue seed to recall sothing and continued:
"Within the Heaven Dou Empire, the clan most skilled in construction and architecture is the Defense Clan, forrly affiliated with the Clear Sky Sect. They once maintained close ties with the Strength Clan."
"The Strength Clan relied on the power of the Clear Sky Sect to run rampant in the past. Now that their Vigorous Orangutan Martial Soul has completely vanished from the continent, I only worry that the Defense Clan, due to their forr friendship with the Strength Clan, may harbor certain thoughts and prove untrustworthy."
"Although they are renowned master builders and highly respected among the craftsn of the Heaven Dou Empire, it is not as though only the Defense Clan can handle such work."
"The Strength Clan once acted tyrannically under the backing of the Clear Sky Sect, making enemies everywhere and even exterminating entire families at the slightest disagreent. After the Strength Clan was destroyed, many families that once held grudges against them gathered within Heaven Dou City, hoping to repay your kindness. Among them should be several families skilled in construction."
"If you have need of them, you may send people to contact them. So of these families were nearly wiped out under the Strength Clan's oppression and hate them to the bone. Now they are extrely grateful toward you, so they may be worthy of trust."
"Many thanks for the reminder, Your Highness." Chen Ming rembered seeing similar intelligence reports in Spirit Hall before. However, those small families and sects oppressed by the Strength Clan were simply too weak and too scattered to attract much of his attention.
But if he could gather and unify those fragnted families and sects, the territory of his rear base would beco far more stable.
Even if they possessed no special abilities, a group of physically powerful Spirit Masters could still contribute greatly to construction work. Whether opening mountains or clearing forests, they would be excellent laborers.
Qian Renxue wore the mask of Xue Qinghe, and naturally presented the stance expected of the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire.
After confirming Chen Ming's attitude toward Spirit Hall and toward the Heaven Dou Empire, she no longer attempted to test him further. Instead, she conversed warmly and tried to draw him closer.
As for Qian Renxue's attempts at recruitnt, Chen Ming neither accepted nor refused. He rely postponed the matter, saying they could discuss it in the future.
Although Qian Renxue felt sowhat unwilling, Chen Ming had not directly rejected her. In her eyes, that ant there was still hope.
If she could recruit Chen Ming to her side, then in the future she would gain enormous assistance in every aspect.
With Chen Ming's current reputation, whether among great sects or minor sects, among the older generation of Spirit Masters or the younger generation alike, there were many who sincerely admired him. If she gained his support, then gathering experts and talented individuals in the future would beco far easier.
...
After a long while, Dugu Bo and Prince Xue Xing finally finished their private discussion. Chen Ming left the palace together with them, paid a visit to Ye Renxin's residence, and only afterward returned to Dugu Bo's estate.
The mont Dugu Bo stepped through the manor gates, a purple-haired young girl imdiately threw herself onto him.
"Grandpa, I missed you so much! You're completely different from before now."
Dugu Yan hugged Dugu Bo tightly. Looking at the rejuvenated appearance he had regained, her eyes were filled with shock and curiosity.
"Haha, Grandpa was always this handso when he was young. It's just that I couldn't show it in my old age. Now that I've regained my youth, it's simply a return to my original prowess."
In front of the granddaughter he had not seen for a long ti, Dugu Bo rarely acted playful. Like carrying a child, he lifted the no-longer-young Dugu Yan high into the air and spun her around several tis before finally setting her back down.
"Co, Yan Yan, et your Second Grandpa."
Dugu Bo ruffled Dugu Yan's hair. Looking at her eyes, where the green tint had faded, a trace of relief showed between his brows. He pulled Dugu Yan toward Chen Ming.
"Huh?" Dugu Yan rubbed her eyes and looked at Chen Ming, who appeared even younger than herself, then turned toward Dugu Bo with a completely bewildered expression.
Dugu Yan had imagined many possible scenarios for eting the continent's number one genius. So good, so bad, and even so impossible to describe.
But she had never imagined sothing like this.
"What do you an 'huh'? Hurry up and call him Second Grandpa. Even if he's young, he's your grandfather's close friend despite the age difference. What are you embarrassed for?"
Dugu Bo smacked Dugu Yan lightly on the head and spoke seriously.
"You and I are able to stand here today because of your Second Grandpa's help. Don't go failing to recognize a good person just because of appearances."
"Uh…"
Dugu Yan's mouth twitched for quite a while. In the end, after hesitating for a long ti while looking at Chen Ming, she quietly said:
"Greetings… Second Grandpa."
"Good." Chen Ming nodded. He searched through his soul tool and took out a small bottle of dicinal pills.
During his research on Spirit Beasts in Spirit Hall, Chen Ming had not wasted any materials. All the leftover parts of those Spirit Beasts had been used for analysis and the developnt of new dicines. Although he had yet to create truly top-tier pills, he had still produced quite a number of useful ones.
"This is Muscle and Bone Strengthening Pill. It's suitable for Spirit Masters at your level. Take one pill a day. It can strengthen the body's physical toughness. After taking it for a month, your overall physique should improve by roughly fifteen to twenty percent. It also has beauty-enhancing effects. Consider this my eting gift."
User Comments
0 comments from readers