Chapter 402: Losing Both One's Wife and One's Soldiers

As time slowly passed, Zhao Chengqian's face grew darker and darker.

He had been kneeling for a full six hours!

Qixia Mountain's gates were still tightly shut, and not a single person had come out to greet him!

He was the esteemed Seventh Prince, yet these people from Qixia Mountain thought far too highly of themselves, didn't they?

Zhao Chengqian now truly wanted to flick his sleeves and leave, then summon the Gale Guard to slaughter every last one of them!

But whenever he recalled the Emperor's faint voice, a chill surged from the depths of his heart, instantly extinguishing all his flames of anger.

Offering a birch and pleading guilty was a decision he had steeled himself to make after a whole night of deliberation.

Before coming, he had already resolved that no matter how great the humiliation he faced today, he would endure it!

Yet now that he was actually here, he had to admit how difficult this was.

"The Seventh Prince has been kneeling here for several hours, and it's almost dark. I've heard that that gentleman is very kind. What did he do to make the person on Qixia Mountain so furious?"

"Heh, you're out of the loop, aren't you? That gentleman is indeed kind, but once he truly loses his temper, even the Emperor himself has to yield!"

"Oh? Is there a story behind this?"

That person briefly recounted the matter of the Third Prince and said, "My guess is that the Seventh Prince probably had a conflict with that Ji Qing, and even nearly killed him!"

"Is that so! If that's the case, then it all makes sense! The Seventh Prince is notorious in the royal city for his tyranny, often killing people over trivial matters. This time, he's kicked an iron plate!"

"Who says otherwise!"

...

The world never lacked busybodies. For as long as Zhao Chengqian had been kneeling here, they had been watching.

After several hours, everyone had more or less guessed the ins and outs of the matter.

Zhao Chengqian tried his best not to hear these discussions, but the voices kept forcing their way into his ears, making his ordeal even more unbearable.

If today's matter weren't so critical, he would have surely risen and killed someone!

Just then, a youth of sixteen or seventeen in a blue robe appeared in everyone's sight. It was Ye Yuan.

Ye Yuan walked slowly up to Zhao Chengqian, stretched, yawned, and said with a curious look, "Oh, isn't this the Seventh Prince? What are you doing?"

Zhao Chengqian suppressed the rage in his heart and said in a deep voice, "Zhao Chengqian has come especially to apologize to Young Master Ji. Please punish me!"

With that, Zhao Chengqian pulled a birch branch from behind his back and, holding it with both hands, presented it to Ye Yuan.

Ye Yuan took the branch with a playful expression and smiled, "Your Highness, what crime have you committed? Ji Qing is a bit puzzled. Didn't Your Highness say that day that all who oppose you are dead? I wonder why Your Highness seeks forgiveness from a dead man?"

"That day, I was momentarily confused and offended Young Master Ji. That is why I have come today to apologize!" Zhao Chengqian had prepared for this and replied.

"Oh, I see. Your Highness is supremely domineering. I wonder if, after I forgive you today, I might end up dead on the street tomorrow?" Ye Yuan said with a half-smile.

Zhao Chengqian was startled inwardly. That was exactly what he had been thinking!

He planned to wait until this matter blew over, then find an opportunity to kill Ye Yuan. Of course, he wouldn't do it himself.

There were too many ways to have someone killed; doing it oneself was naturally the stupidest method, only inviting trouble.

Little did he know that Ye Yuan had seen through his thoughts at a single glance!

"What are you saying, Brother Ji? I have truly recognized my mistake, which is why I am apologizing so solemnly today. I was indeed too reckless that day, and it will never happen again!" Zhao Chengqian quickly said.

"Oh? Is that so? I am new here and have no enemies in the royal city. So if anything happens to me in the future, I will hold you accountable, Your Highness!"

Zhao Chengqian was seething with hatred inside!

Who said you have no enemies? Didn't you offend the entire Tong family just a few days ago?

Ye Yuan's words clearly meant to use his influence to suppress the Tong family. Moreover, if Ye Yuan offended anyone in the royal city in the future, he would have to step in and resolve it.

What kind of mess was this!

But at this critical juncture, Zhao Chengqian had to swallow his pride even if it meant breaking his teeth!

"Of course! If anything happens to Brother Ji in the royal city, you can hold me accountable. I will atone with my death!" Zhao Chengqian gritted his teeth and said.

With such a major event, the onlookers could not all be ordinary martial artists; there were bound to be people from major families and powerful forces.

Making such a promise in front of so many people was almost equivalent to giving Ye Yuan a get-out-of-jail-free card!

No matter how powerful these forces were, how many dared to oppose the Wind Emperor?

Even if the Seventh Prince did not represent the Wind Emperor, and even if he had lost face today, he was still the strongest among the princes and the most likely to inherit the throne!

Ye Yuan smiled slightly and said loudly, "With so many people here today, let everyone bear witness: my humble life is now in the hands of His Highness the Seventh Prince! If one day I, Ji Qing, meet with misfortune, it will be inseparable from His Highness the Seventh Prince!"

Naturally, no one dared to respond, but Ye Yuan did not need them to.

Once Zhao Chengqian had said those words, his goal was achieved.

"Haha, it seems Your Highness is indeed sincere. I, Ji Qing, naturally cannot be ungrateful. Your Highness, please return. This matter ends here." Ye Yuan laughed.

Zhao Chengqian hesitated and said, "Brother Ji, what about... the matter of the pills."

"Pills? What pills?" Ye Yuan asked with a blank look.

Zhao Chengqian was furious inside. He didn't believe Ye Yuan didn't know about the Alchemist Association's sanctions against the royal family, yet he was playing dumb!

But with so many people present, he couldn't speak too clearly, and he was about to burst with internal injury.

He had originally thought Ye Yuan would invite him inside to talk, but instead, Ye Yuan directly told him to leave.

"Heh, no... nothing." Zhao Chengqian said awkwardly.

"Oh, nothing then. Your Highness, shall I take my leave? My senior brothers are still waiting for me to study alchemy." Ye Yuan spoke with a smile, as if he had become friends with Zhao Chengqian.

"Ah? Ha... haha, please go, please go."

Zhao Chengqian didn't know if this counted as completing the task, nor did he know what Ye Yuan planned to do next. His heart was still pounding with unease.

If Xingyuan did not lift the sanction order, he would still be doomed!

...

After returning to the mountain, the senior brothers showered Ye Yuan with praise.

"Hehe, the junior brother is young but handles matters with great sophistication! I imagine Zhao Chengqian will be too worried to eat or sleep for the next couple of days!" Shi Haoran laughed heartily.

"Indeed, that Zhao Chengqian, used to being arrogant and domineering, has lost face completely today. He even gave the junior brother a get-out-of-jail-free card. Truly a case of throwing good money after bad!" You Guang said.

Ye Yuan smiled and said, "Not at all. In the end, this matter is all thanks to the master's sanctions!"