Your Majesty, Please Stop!

Chapter 172: Gifts from Various Sects

On the seventh day of June, the carriage passed through Bazhou Prefecture.

The prefectural yamen and the military governor's yamen presented congratulatory gifts, strongly urging the crown prince to stay and entertain them. It was clear that they did not intend to let the officials and others lose face by not getting off the carriage.

Xin Zhuo finally experienced what it meant to be part of the privileged class, what it meant to be a member of the imperial family. He was not a person who would let others disrespect him, so he reluctantly got off the carriage and indulged in a day of feasting. Then, he loaded a carriage full of "meager gifts" and continued north, detouring to Dukang Prefecture to meet Cui Ying'er and the others.

...

Bazhou was three hundred li away from Dukang Prefecture, and the journey would take at least four to five days.

On such a long journey, sitting in a carriage swaying back and forth, there was nothing to do except sleep.

To be honest, Xin Zhuo was not a true practitioner in the truest sense. At least, he didn't need to diligently meditate, cultivate the universe, or endure physical and mental hardships like other practitioners.

This surprised Chan Yi and Sheng Lingge to the point where they really doubted whether the crown prince had any martial realm at all.

When the carriage was seventy li away from Dukang Prefecture, Xin Zhuo had already slept for seventeen or eighteen times.

He had eaten a bit too much along the way, and he felt drowsy as soon as he got on the carriage. He was only awakened by two calm voices outside:

"Madman Sanfeng of Wudang Sect pays respects to the crown prince!"

"Kuxing of Shaolin Sect pays respects to the crown prince!"

Chan Yi, who was sitting across from him, opened her eyes and looked at the confused crown prince. "You can choose to see them or not!"

This answer sounded very arrogant, but Xin Zhuo felt a bit excited. He had already jumped from a world where fists spoke to a world where connections mattered.

He opened a corner of the curtain and looked outside, only to see an old Taoist with white hair and a white-bearded old monk standing by the roadside.

The two stood silently, doing nothing, but exuding a terrifying aura.

Behind them stood Zhao Ling, Master Ku Jing, the head of Heshan Sect, the head teacher of Gu Cang Sect, an elder from Wudang Sect, as well as familiar people like Zhao Li, Song Xijun, Ke Qing'e, and others.

Everyone's faces carried varying degrees of strange respect.

Xin Zhuo put down the curtain and asked, "Does the Jiang family really have such deterrence?"

Chan Yi replied expressionlessly, "Naturally! The master of Kuxing, in his early years, was guided in martial realm cultivation by the ancestor of the Jiang family. Madman Sanfeng was once the martial servant of the crown prince's great-grandfather!

The Jiang family has had many outstanding talents throughout the years, and their students and subordinates are spread all over the world. This is also part of the reason why the Jiang family's name shakes the world."

Indeed! A family with a history of several hundred years is not just empty talk; their influence runs deep.

Naturally, Xin Zhuo had to maintain his dignity. He closed his eyes slightly and ignored them. Otherwise, how could he justify the previous days of being hunted and relying on connections to "win without fighting"?

Chan Yi understood his intentions and asked coldly outside the window, "What's the matter?"

Madman Sanfeng smiled and said, "Recently, Wudang Sect had a deep misunderstanding with the crown prince. This old man presents the Dahuang Court Scripture and seven Third Transformation Pills as a sign of respect!"

"Amitābha, Shaolin does the same!"

Kuxing said, "Shaolin is willing to offer the eighteen supreme martial arts of the martial realm and seven Great Return Pills!"

Chan Yi looked at Xin Zhuo.

After a moment of silence, Xin Zhuo realized that he didn't really need anything except for the Sacrificial Spirit. But it was not appropriate to find the Sacrificial Spirit at this time. He opened the curtain and said coldly, "I understand, but your sincerity is not enough!"

Song Xijun and Zhao Li exchanged glances, biting their silver teeth. The words "small people getting ahead" almost slipped out.

We have already suffered heavy losses, and it's still not enough! We have dreamed of getting these things every day, and now we finally have a chance, but Xin Mo is still not satisfied!

However, Madman Sanfeng and Kuxing smiled at each other.

"In that case, let's add the Supreme Observing Yuan Heart Scripture!"

"Shaolin's Thirteen Martial Scriptures of Exorcism!"

Xin Zhuo looked at Chan Yi in surprise and asked, "What's the matter?"

Chan Yi twitched his nose and said, "The martial arts of the two factions are not satisfactory to the Crown Prince. They can only resign themselves to their fate!"

Xin Zhuo reluctantly replied, "It's just so-so. Old Sheng, continue!"

"Boom..."

The convoy gradually moved away.

The experts from various factions silently watched for a long time. It was not until the convoy disappeared from sight that Song Xijun couldn't help but ask, "Uncle Taishi, why did you do that? You gave him the treasure of our sect!"

The 200-year-old Sanfeng Daoist couldn't help but laugh heartily and said, "This seems like a glorious encounter, but in reality, the rise and fall of the Jiang family rests on this young man's shoulders. He is the one who brings both success and failure, but he is unaware of it. What harm can a mere cultivation technique scripture do? Let's see what the future holds, after settling this karma!"

Song Xijun, Zhao Li, and others were confused, but they always felt... that with Xin Mo as their leader, there seemed to be nothing they couldn't achieve. This cunning thief was more cunning than anyone else.

...

Dukang Mansion was located north of Bazhou and southwest of Jingjiang Mansion. It was a strategic stronghold that controlled the traffic to the heartland of Da Zhou and had always been a contested area for military forces.

If we were to rank the noble families in Dukang Mansion, the Dukang Earl's Mansion would at least be in the top three. The father of the Dukang Earl, Jiang Bieche, was born into the Jiang family and was a General who conquered the East. The court bestowed him with the title of Earl, and he was also a Martial Dao expert of the fifth rank.

Jiang Bieche had a son named Jiang Hezhu, who excelled in both literature and martial arts and was unrivaled among the various factions in the martial world. Of course, these were titles he gave himself.

Jiang Gongzi had been troubled and even restless these past few days.

He had once been the second-in-command of the Ferocious Tiger Gang, so he naturally knew Mu Rongxiu, Huang Dagui, and others under Xin Zhuo's command. A few days ago, he coincidentally discovered Huang Dagui in Dukang Mansion and, following the trail, found Cui Ying'er and others.

This made him excited.

On his own territory, he had the absolute ability to capture these people.

Although Cui Ying'er, Mu Rongxiu, and others seemed to have learned Xin Zhuo's skills and were difficult to catch due to their cunning, he was confident that he could trap and toy with them.

He did exactly that and succeeded. But then, he heard a horrifying piece of news.

This news not only shocked him, but even his father Jiang Bieche had been sleepless for several days, unable to eat or drink, and didn't know what to do.

"Cui Ying'er, Mu Rongxiu, Huang Dagui, all you big shots, come out! Come to my house, I'll treat you to good wine and food. I'm sincere!" Jiang Hezhu shouted hoarsely outside a dilapidated courtyard with a complex environment, accompanied by a group of guards.

After a while, Huang Dagui's loud voice came from inside, "Go to hell, Jiang Hezhu! Do you think we're three-year-old kids? You want us to come out, so we'll come out? If you have the guts, come in!"

"What should I say for you to believe me?" Jiang Hezhu's face was bitter. "This is simply... like pouring water on the Dragon King's temple. Young Master Jiang of your family and our Dukang Earl's Mansion have been friends for generations. I have admired Young Master Jiang and my father for a long time!"

"Phew! Which ghost is Young Master Jiang? Who knows him? Are you just bluffing?" Han Qimang's voice sneered. "Even if you say something impressive, we won't believe you! The head of the family will be here in a few days. You're probably going to cry and won't be able to stop!"

"I'm already on the verge of tears!" Jiang Hezhu sat down on the steps, dejectedly. "Who would believe this? Your head of the family is Young Master Jiang, and he's hiding too deeply. Isn't this playing the tiger and eating the wolf? If I had known earlier, I would have joined you! Hey? Mu Rongxiu, you lucky dog, did you know about it early on?"

"I know your father!" Mu Rongxiu sneered. "Stop playing tricks. If you have the guts, come in!"

"I won't! If you don't come out, I won't leave!"

"If you don't leave, we'll wait!"

(End of this chapter)