From Cold Palace Princess to Celestial Empress Ch. 27
Below the stage, Lin Zhengquan was seeing off the drunken guests.
Just as most of the guests had left, an elderly man with graying hair, his face flushed and reeking of alcohol, suddenly emerged from the banquet.
“Brother… Brother Lin!”
The old man raised his hand, pointing at Lin Zhengquan, swaying as he spoke:
“We’ve been friends for decades, and today I have a favor to ask of you. You must agree, or else you’re looking down on me!”
The old man’s voice was loud, waking up the drowsy crowd, and even Xiao Minghuang, seated at the head of the table, gradually regained her senses and looked over.
Lin Zhengquan frowned slightly, feeling displeased.
The drunken old man was the head of the Chen family, one of the four great families of Beiyang City, with a cultivation level at the eighth level Spring Realm, second only to Lin Zhengquan himself.
Usually, Lin Zhengquan respected the Chen Family head and addressed him as a brother.
“With Her Highness the Ninth Princess present today, I hope this fellow doesn’t cause any trouble.”
As he pondered, Lin Zhengquan circulated his spiritual energy, expelling the alcohol from his body, and exhaled a turbid breath. He stood up and smiled:
“Everyone is a bit tired today, Brother Chen. Could we discuss your matter tomorrow? As long as I can do it, I will agree!”
“What do you mean tomorrow?!” The Chen Family head slammed the table, his neck turning red as he shouted, “Today, I just want a word from you. I have a favor to ask, will you do it or not?!”
Hearing this, the crowd collectively gasped, whispering among themselves:
“What’s wrong with the Chen Family head? How dare he act so recklessly in front of the Ninth Princess?”
“Alcohol emboldens the timid. Let’s see what the Chen Family head has to say next. I hope it’s not too outrageous, otherwise today’s matter might not end well.”
Lin Zhengquan remained silent, his expression fluctuating as he hesitated over whether to expel this drunken fool from the banquet.
At the head of the table, Xiao Minghuang was also roused by the commotion and looked toward the man standing in the center of the hall, shouting loudly.
“Is this the Chen Family head?”
She remembered that in the storage pouch of the evil cultivator, there was a stack of letters detailing the illicit dealings between the evil cultivator and the Chen Family head.
The evil cultivator, under the Chen Family head’s orders, had plundered and slaughtered mortals, extracting their life force to aid the Chen Family head in cultivating his dark arts. Moreover, the evil cultivator had acted as an intermediary between the Chen Family head and the Golden Elephant Kingdom, facilitating the Chen Family head’s collusion with foreign powers to seize benefits.
As Xiao Minghuang pondered this, the Chen Family head waved his hand and called out:
“Yu’er, bring out that pill and show it to your Uncle Lin.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a young man in his thirties stepped out from behind him. He had a fat head and big ears, an ugly appearance, and his gaze frequently drifted toward Lin Wanqiu, who was seated at the head of the table, with a hint of greed in his eyes.
Lin Zhengquan looked at the young man and asked, “I know you. You’re Chen Yu, the son of the Chen Family head. What is it?”
Hearing that Lin Zhengquan recognized him, Chen Yu’s face lit up with delight. He took out a brocade box from his sleeve and presented it to Lin Zhengquan as if offering a treasure.
“Nephew has heard that Miss Lin was born with blocked meridians, making cultivation difficult. Since childhood, Nephew and Miss Lin have been childhood sweethearts, innocent and close, so Nephew feels deeply pained by her plight.”
“After enduring countless hardships, I have obtained a Profound-tier high-grade pill, the Yuan Mending Pill, which aids in consolidating the foundation, nurturing vitality, and unblocking meridians.”
“I am willing to offer this pill to Miss Lin, to assist her in unblocking her meridians and perfecting her cultivation path.”
As he spoke, the box was opened, and a rich medicinal aroma filled the entire hall. Almost everyone present caught a whiff of this pure medicinal scent and couldn’t help but sniff the air.
“A Profound-tier high-grade pill, such a precious treasure. How did the Chen Family obtain it?”
No one would believe that a mere junior like Chen Yu, who was only at the Body Tempering Realm, could acquire a Profound-tier high-grade pill. This must have been arranged by the higher-ups of the Chen Family.
Lin Zhengquan also had this doubt, but for him, the most crucial matter at the moment was not where the Chen Family got the pill, but their intentions.
Lin Wanqiu was born with blocked meridians, which was no secret. Almost everyone in Beiyang City knew about it. In the past, others had offered medicinal pills, but they had no effect.
However, this Profound-grade high-quality pill before them might not be entirely useless.
The Yuan Mending Pill was renowned far and wide. This pill could cleanse the essence and marrow, temper the body and bones, and was an extremely precious foundational medicine. It also had the effect of repairing hidden injuries and replenishing the foundation.
With such a pill, even if it couldn’t cure Lin Wanqiu’s blocked meridians, taking it might still heal her hidden injuries and allow her to step into the Divine Sea Realm.
At that time, with greater strength, she could venture into some perilous places and perhaps encounter spiritual medicines that could unblock her meridians. Who knows?
His gaze fell on the brown pill lying quietly in the brocade box, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
Faced with such a spiritual medicine, Lin Zhengquan did not immediately accept it. Instead, he asked very rationally:
“The Chen Family has offered such a precious pill. What are your conditions?”
Hearing this, Chen Yu looked directly at Lin Wanqiu, who was seated at the head of the table, and said without hesitation:
“I only wish to marry Miss Lin. Beyond that, I have no other requests!”
As soon as these words fell, the entire hall fell into complete silence!
Lin Zhengquan’s thoughts raced, filled with regret. He should have expelled the Chen Family from the banquet earlier; then such disrespectful words would not have been spoken.
However, this wasn’t entirely the fault of the Chen Family.
The engagement between Xiao Minghuang and Lin Wanqiu was only known within the Lin Family. Since the old Beiyang City Lord passed away, no one had mentioned it again, so none of the major families in Beiyang City were aware of it.
But the problem was, why did the Chen Family have to bring this up in the presence of the Ninth Princess?
Wasn’t this a slap in the face of the Ninth Princess?
Proposing to someone’s fiancée right in front of them.
Not to mention the Ninth Princess’s royal status, even an ordinary commoner would never willingly endure such an insult.
If this had happened before, Lin Zhengquan might have politely refused and then sought to purchase the pill, as a Profound-tier high-grade pill could indeed potentially unblock Lin Wanqiu’s meridians.
But now, in the presence of the Ninth Princess, he could not show any hesitation. He had to immediately take a firm stance.
In a flash of thought.
Lin Zhengquan acted decisively!
“Outrageous!”
With a glare and a furious shout, the aura of a peak Spring Realm expert erupted, almost materializing, and pressed down heavily on Chen Yu.
The loud shout startled the drunken head of the Chen Family. Seeing his own disciple about to be injured, he flashed forward and stood in front of Chen Yu.
In an instant.
The head of the Chen Family left a trail of afterimages in the air as he retreated more than ten steps with Chen Yu before coming to a halt.
His face was filled with shock and confusion, completely unable to understand why the Lin City Lord would suddenly take action to suppress the Chen Family’s disciple.
The sudden turn of events also caught everyone present off guard, leaving them puzzled.
“What does the Lin City Lord mean by this? Even if he doesn’t want to marry his daughter to the Chen Family, there’s no need to bully the Chen Family’s disciple, right?”
“In front of the head of the Chen Family, attempting to suppress the Chen Family’s young master—is the Lin City Lord declaring war on the Chen Family?”
Hearing the murmurs of the crowd, Lin Zhengquan sighed softly. In order to board the Ninth Princess’s chariot, he had almost torn apart his relationship with the Chen Family.
Now, he only hoped that the Ninth Princess would treat Lin Wanqiu sincerely, ensuring that his daughter would not be bullied in the future.
After all, a precious elixir like the Yuan Mending Pill was likely impossible to find a second one in the entire southern region.
As expected.
The head of the Chen Family’s expression turned extremely grim, his gaze toward the Lin City Lord carrying a hint of anger.
“City Lord Lin, we’ve been friends for many years. If you don’t want to marry your daughter into my Chen Family, that’s fine, but why bully the younger generation and harm my Chen Family’s heir?!”
As he spoke, the head of the Chen Family’s body seemed to surge with flowing water, the sound of waves roaring. The surrounding spiritual energy was stirred by him, and the full might of an eighth-level Spring Realm expert erupted, as if he were about to strike at any moment.
Faced with the accusation, Lin Zhengquan was also helpless. He had suddenly taken action to suppress the Chen Family, but he needed a reason and couldn’t openly disclose the matter of the marriage agreement.
The Ninth Princess herself was present, and for him to speak on this matter would be overstepping his bounds.
At this moment.
Xiao Minghuang, who had been watching the spectacle for a long time, finally spoke.
The young girl in bright yellow robes slowly rose to her feet, her delicate face slightly flushed, her phoenix eyes slightly open, exuding an air of nobility and authority.
“Head of the Chen Family, you have quite the audacity! How dare you collude with evil cultivators, betray your country, and conspire with the enemy? Now, in front of this princess, confess the truth at once!”
Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu
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