CH 2167.3

Each of the major Darklake families possessed a private army. They were formed at the clan’s behest to safeguard important territory such as the family mines or clan headquarters. The Lu Clan also possessed its own army.

“That’s easy,” Situ Yun smiled. “It’d be slightly out of the question if you want to turn the Darklake army into your private army, but the Vermilion Bird is no more. Only its military designation remains, so I can make the call and give it to you if you wish.”

Situ Yun was the imperial family’s foremost genius and his words carried a certain weight in the family. Emperor Situ Wenxian doted on him, so he did indeed possess this level of authority.

“My thanks to Brother Situ,” Lu Yun smiled.

“Situ Yun, my ninth younger brother, you’ve got some nerve to casually give away military designations like this. Our royal father didn’t give you this kind of authority!”

Bam!

The door to their private room exploded and its defensive formation likewise shattered. A burly man charged in with a few other people.

Lu Yun frowned and glanced at Situ Yun—the prince looked on with an unpleasant expression.

“Crown Prince.” Situ Yun addressed the newcomer. The intruder was the crown prince of Darklake Empire—Situ Jie—the heir to the throne.

With Situ Jie’s cultivation and acumen, he was sure to ascend to the throne when the emperor ascended beyond nascent soul and left for a fourth rank cultivation empire. The unexpected appearance of Situ Yun posed no small threat to him. His younger brother was backed by Lu Tianling and the throne would be unequivocally his if the old marshal fully supported Situ Yun.

The other six families of Darklake Empire very rarely involved themselves in the matter of succession. It was why they’d prospered for such a long period of time.

The Lus, however, were different. It’d been less than one hundred years since their founding and their roots did not run deep. If they supported Situ Yun and he became the emperor, he would most certainly wholeheartedly reinforce the Lu Clan. The family might advance by leaps and bounds in a very short period of time.

This kind of win-win situation was what Situ Jie was most concerned about.

“It looks like the crown prince has brought the Mo Clan to your side and won their support.” Lu Yun relaxed his straight posture and laid back on the seat cushion.

Situ Jie blinked.

“That does indeed look to be the case,” Situ Yun frowned. “Immortal Gathering’s private booths are isolated by formations, preventing consciousness and sound from piercing them. How would big brother know of my conversation with young master Lu if not for the support of the Mo Clan?”

“It’s just a parlor trick not worth mentioning,” came another voice behind Situ Jie. A small, thin man with a squirrelly expression on his face darted out.

“Indeed, just a parlor trick not worth mentioning!” Situ Jie burst into laughter when he saw the man.

“You are the genius of Profound Wing Empire, Yong Heyu?” Situ Yun lowered his voice.

“Yong Heyu greets Your Highness the ninth prince,” the man responded with a smile.

Profound Wing Empire was one of Darklake’s two major vassals and a second rank cultivation empire. Yong Heyu was its foremost genius and had come to Darklake after coalescing his nascent soul. He’d joined the crown prince’s faction and became Situ Jie’s strategist.

The resources of a second rank cultivation empire were insufficient to support nascent soul cultivators from advancing further. If they wished to progress, they needed to move to a more sophisticated nation. Most nascent soul cultivators from second rank empires voluntarily joined third rank nations.

As for fourth rank… nascent soul cultivators from second rank empires would not be highly valued in a fourth rank empire and wouldn’t receive many resources. They would be far more important in a third rank empire.

“You can see through Immortal Gathering’s formations? Or do you have a special treasure on you?” Lu Yun asked lazily as he sprawled on his cushion.

“That’s for me to know,” Yong Heyu huffed while he cast a sidelong glance at Lu Yun. “Young master Lu, His Highness the crown prince is here, but just look at you. Did your parents not teach you manners? Or were you born out of a trash heap and your parents didn’t want you?”

Irritation brewed in Yong Heyu’s heart when he saw Lu Yun’s attitude and expression. He’d conducted an in-depth investigation of the Lu Clan before this. Lu Tianling was a genius who rose to prominence in Darklake Empire and was formerly the greatest in the Wing Empire. He’d been born a few hundred years earlier than Yong Heyu.

In Yong Heyu’s world, there would be the Yong Clan in Darklake Empire and not the Lu Clan if they’d been born at the same time!

He’d thrown himself under the crown prince’s banner because he wanted to borrow the future emperor’s strength to establish a Yong Clan!

“Yong Heyu?” Lu Yun raised his head with a supercilious smile. “This young master doesn’t care if you’re a number one genius or number two idiot. I don’t care whose dog you are, but since you’ve bitten me, this young master will have you die.”

Parents would always be his weak spot! It was a pain that overrode everything, one beyond the three thousand lifetimes…

Lu Yun had reincarnated three times—from earth to the world of immortals and then to this world. In all of his lifetimes, he’d never had parents.

It hadn’t been his reincarnation when he became Yushi Moli—he’d just been borrowing the young man’s body. That was entirely different from him becoming the Lu Yun of this world through the cycle of reincarnation.

He was newly arrived when his parents in this world met with disaster and died. His ludicrous acts and utter depravity since childhood were a form of trauma expression. Killing intent rose in his heart to hear Yong Heyu bring up a pain point.

“You’re Lu Tianling’s grandson, aren’t you? I’d like to see who is it that dies today!” Yong Heyu grinned savagely in his anger and raised his hand, throwing himself at Lu Yun’s neck. Situ Jie smirked and didn’t stop the man.

Bam!

Thump!

Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original.

Yong Heyu flew backward like a cannonball, plowing through the wall and crashing to the street outside. He broke an untold number of things on his way out.

An aloof young man dressed in long ivory robes and a beautiful piece of jade hanging from his waist had appeared at some point in time.

“I show you mercy today on behalf of the crown prince. If you, Yong Heyu, dare set foot in any Mo business in the future, I will kill you.” The young man’s voice spread through the vicinity, clearly audible throughout Immortal Gathering and the streets adjacent to it.

Yong Heyu scrambled up from the ground and glared at the restaurant with seething resentment.

“The three gentlemen of Darklake? Heh heh heh heh heh…” he leered.

……

“Yong Heyu violated the privacy of Immortal Gathering’s guests, so we must offer an explanation. No one will dare patronize our establishment in the future if we do not. I trust you do not mind, Your Highness?” The young man remained just as aloof while addressing Situ Jie.

“He’s just a dog. You’re saving this prince a bit of effort, young master Yue.”  Nothing flickered through Situ Jie’s expression and he responded pleasantly, but Lu Yun could read the lurking brutality hidden behind it.

“Very well,” the young man nodded.

How is Mo Qiyue’s cultivation this terrifying? Isn’t he supposed to be the weakest of the three gentlemen? The energy ripples he gave off earlier put him on par with number nine. Situ Jie seethed inwardly, but there was nothing he could do. The young man in front of him was the most mysterious of the three gentlemen—Mo Qiyue.

Mo Qiyue kept to himself and rarely appeared in the public eye. He never displayed his cultivation in front of others. Although people knew he was a nascent soul cultivator, no one knew how strong he was.

Of the three gentlemen, Ouyang Shengtian had been the first to break through and form his nascent soul. Situ Yun was second, and Mo Qiyue the last. Situ Yun had once said that he was less than Ouyang Shengtian, so the hierarchy of the three was deemed in the order that they broke through.

Situ Jie inclined his head at Mo Qiyue and took a deep look at Lu Yun before whirling around to leave.

“Brother Situ, young master Lu, what happened just now was our oversight. Your meal is on the house today.” Mo Qiyue spoke in indifferent, emotionless tones. He nodded at Lu Yun and Situ Yun before drifting away.

“Mo Qitian… tsk tsk, he hid things well. He’s no simple character.” An amused smile played on Lu Yun’s lips as he watched Mo Qitian’s departing back.

“No simple character?” Situ Yun curled his lip. “That’s an enormous understatement. I think Ouyang Shengtian became very satisfied with himself when I said I was less than him and he actually thinks he is the greatest among the younger generation.”

“Oh?” Lu Yun smiled.

“I battled Mo Qitian once,” Situ Yun took a deep breath. “Three moves. I lost in three moves.”

Lu Yun raised an eyebrow.

“We were both golden core at the time and haven’t sparred since we coalesced our nascent souls. I don’t know how strong he is now,” Situ Yun chuckled. “The Mo Clan has been around longer than Darklake Empire has. You can’t possibly think that Admiral Lu’s clan once really did eclipse the Mo Clan. I’d believe it if it was said that the Mos have soul projection cultivators!”