Gou cultivates martial arts and seeks immortality in the world of cultivation.

Chapter 111 The Imperial Capital of Yan, Prince Jing's Residence

Seven days later, Lu Lin followed Murong Cheng and his party to the capital of Yan.

The grandeur of the imperial capital is indeed extraordinary.

The city walls are majestic and magnificent, even more so than those of Blood Fiend City.

The streets were bustling with traffic and pedestrians, a lively and noisy scene. High in the sky, streaks of light occasionally flashed by—those were cultivators flying on their magical artifacts.

The Prince Jing's Mansion is located in the heart of the capital, covering an area of ​​100 acres. The mansion features pavilions and towers arranged in a well-organized manner, with carved beams and painted rafters, showcasing the grandeur of the imperial court.

"Senior Tang, my father has prepared a banquet, firstly to celebrate the victory in eliminating the Black Wind Bandits, and secondly to welcome you back." Murong Cheng said to Lu Lin as they walked along the corridor of the Prince Jing's residence.

"Tang Yan" is the alias Lu Lin is using at this moment.

Murong Cheng had already sent a message by carrier pigeon when he left Guangling City, reporting to Prince Jing about the annihilation of the Black Wind Bandits and his acquaintance with a martial arts expert from the Xia Dynasty.

Lu Lin nodded slightly.

After hundreds of soldiers returned to their camp to rest, Murong Cheng, accompanied only by Lu Lin, the two old men (one fat and one thin), and a few military commanders, arrived at a quiet courtyard within the Prince's residence.

A sumptuous feast had already been prepared in the courtyard, and dozens of people, all of whom were key figures in the Prince Jing's mansion, were already seated.

At the head of the table sat a middle-aged man, about forty years old, dressed in a purple dragon robe.

His face was sharply defined, with a commanding presence even without anger, and he bore a resemblance to Murong Cheng.

Without needing an introduction, Lu Lin knew that this person must be Prince Jing.

"Father!" Murong Cheng stepped forward and bowed.

"Your subordinates pay their respects to Your Highness!" The two old men, one fat and one thin, along with several commanders, stepped forward and knelt to pay their respects.

"No need for formalities." Prince Jing raised his hand in a gesture of support, his gaze then falling on Lu Lin. "Cheng'er, is this the martial arts expert from the Xia Dynasty you mentioned in your letter?"

"That's right," Murong Cheng replied respectfully.

"My name is Tang Yan. I greet Prince Jing." Lu Lin clasped his hands in greeting, neither humble nor arrogant.

"No, no... Senior, please take a seat!" Prince Jing quickly stood up and personally invited Lu Lin to take the seat of honor.

Murong Cheng explicitly mentioned in his letter that this "Tang Yan" was able to kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Heavenly Desire Sect in one move, and his strength was unfathomable.

Faced with such a powerful figure, how could a mere secular prince dare to be arrogant?

Lu Lin did not refuse and sat down without hesitation.

"Thanks to your help this time, senior, otherwise Cheng'er would not only have been unable to wipe out the Black Wind Bandits, but would probably have lost his life in Guangling Mountain. I would like to offer you a toast to express my gratitude!" Prince Jing raised his wine cup and toasted Lu Lin.

"Please." Lu Lin raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

"Someone come here." Prince Jing clapped his hands gently.

Immediately, a servant carrying a wooden box approached Lu Lin and opened the lid. Inside were neatly arranged white jade porcelain bottles.

“Senior, this box contains one hundred Qi and Blood Pills. It is a small gift, but I hope you will accept it.” Prince Jing said.

One hundred Qi and Blood Pills!
Lu Lin raised an eyebrow slightly.

This is definitely a big investment.

It should be noted that even the Demon Sect Master, Tuoba Feng, only rewarded him with one hundred Qi and Blood Pills and two hundred catties of Blood Crystals last time.

"In that case, I shall accept it without hesitation." Lu Lin accepted the wooden box without any pretense and placed it on the table.

Such cultivation resources are being offered to us without hesitation; there's no reason to refuse.

"All of you have rendered meritorious service in annihilating the Black Wind Bandits, and you will all be richly rewarded!" Prince Jing raised his cup again.

The atmosphere at the banquet immediately became lively. It wasn't until after several rounds of drinks that everyone finally dispersed, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

A servant from the Prince's residence led Lu Lin to his guest room to rest.

After the banquet ended, only Prince Jing and his son Murong Cheng remained in the courtyard.

"Cheng'er, tell me again the details of the battle to wipe out the Black Wind Bandits." Prince Jing's expression turned serious.

"Yes." Murong Cheng nodded, and then carefully recounted his encounter in the canyon that day, especially how Lu Lin appeared and how he swiftly killed the two Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Upon hearing this, Prince Jing frowned slightly: "Just when you were in dire straits and about to be killed, Tang Yan 'coincidentally' arrived... This is far too coincidental."

"Does Father suspect Senior Tang?" Murong Cheng asked, somewhat surprised.

"One should always be wary of others. Who can say for sure that he isn't deliberately using this opportunity to get close to you?" Prince Jing said in a deep voice.

"That's absolutely impossible!" Murong Cheng shook his head in rebuttal. "According to Father's speculation, could it be that Senior Tang deliberately arranged for those two Foundation Establishment cultivators to be killed by him personally in exchange for my trust? Father, those were two Foundation Establishment cultivators! To put it bluntly, even if I were to add up all my possessions and my life, it wouldn't be worth the value of a single Foundation Establishment cultivator. If Senior Tang truly wanted to get close to me, why would he need to pay such an inconceivable price? What is he after?"

"Sacrificing two Foundation Establishment cultivators is naturally impossible. But it's not impossible that he arrived long ago, deliberately hiding in the shadows, waiting until you're in dire straits before offering his help. In short, Cheng'er, better safe than sorry. Never confide in someone before you fully understand them. Observe them for a while first," Prince Jing earnestly advised.

"Yes, I understand," Murong Cheng replied verbally, but inwardly he was not convinced.

During the seven-day journey back to the capital, he frequently consulted Lu Lin on difficult martial arts questions.

The other party always gets straight to the point, speaking concisely and clearly, which always makes him feel enlightened.

In just seven days, he felt he had benefited greatly and made significant progress in his martial arts.

In his mind, Lu Lin was a grandmaster who was obsessed with martial arts and had a broad mind, with unfathomable strength.

What could such a person possibly want by deliberately getting close to a mere prince?
Guest room at Prince Jing's Mansion.

"It seems that Prince Jing still has doubts about me," Lu Lin thought to himself.

During the banquet, although Prince Jing was courteous and polite, Lu Lin still keenly sensed the subtle distance and wariness in the other party. He then chuckled to himself.

After all, this was the first time she had met Prince Jing, and the other party was a member of the royal family who was in the vortex of power. It would be abnormal for her to immediately open up to a stranger of unknown origin.

Take your time, he has plenty of time this time anyway.

The three-year term of the overseas posting order is enough time for him to make his plans at his leisure.

After that, Lu Lin temporarily stayed at the Prince Jing's residence.

Murong Cheng often came to him to ask for martial arts advice. Not only him, but also the two old men, fat and thin, and even some other innate martial artists in the palace, came to ask for his advice.

Lu Lin possesses three types of perfected blood qi with thirty-six patterns and three perfected innate killing moves. His understanding and knowledge of martial arts are probably unparalleled in the entire Yan Kingdom.

He can easily discern the flaws and shortcomings in a person's method of exerting force and the flow of qi and blood by simply having them demonstrate their killing move once in front of him, and often a single word can hit the nail on the head.

Every martial artist who came to seek his advice felt that he had benefited greatly.

Gradually, the name "Tang Yan" spread among the martial arts circles of Prince Jing's mansion, earning him widespread respect.

In the blink of an eye, Lu Lin had been staying at the Prince Jing's residence for a month.

This day, late at night.

All sounds are silent.

Ok?
Lu Lin suddenly sensed that someone was quietly sneaking into Prince Jing's residence with extremely fast movements.

His movements were like those of a ghost in the night, and he concealed his presence so well that ordinary martial artists could hardly detect him.

Lu Lin narrowed his eyes slightly, and with a swift movement, he disappeared into the night like a wisp of smoke, secretly following behind.

He quickly spotted a dark figure moving silently and swiftly between the buildings.

“His qi and blood are condensed and do not disperse, and his blood essence is dormant like a dragon… This person is a martial artist at the late stage of the Innate Realm.” Lu Lin made a judgment instantly.

He didn't make a move that would alert the enemy; he simply followed quietly.

The dark figure had a clear target: the core area of ​​the Prince's mansion, the sleeping quarters where Prince Jing resided.

Four experts were clearly stationed around the sleeping quarters, one in the east, one in the west, and one in the south, all of whom possessed the aura of the Innate Realm.

Strangely, although the four experts clearly discovered the intruder, they acted as if they hadn't seen him and allowed him to enter the bedchamber smoothly.

Lu Lin was surprised, but suppressed the urge to reveal himself and continued to lie in wait and observe.

A moment later, another person quietly arrived. He was also a master of innate cultivation and entered the bedchamber without a sound.

Next, the third person...

When Lu Lin saw the third person clearly, his pupils contracted slightly!
This person was actually a cultivator, and judging from the fluctuations in his aura, he was clearly a master cultivator in the Foundation Establishment stage!

When Lu Lin first discovered the innate martial artist, he thought the other party was an assassin. But now it seems that he is clearly not.

These people were clearly there to have a secret meeting with Prince Jing.

But if you're here to see Prince Jing, why choose this late hour and be so secretive?

Lu Lin suppressed his curiosity and continued to observe patiently.

In less than half an hour, as many as six experts entered Prince Jing's bedroom.

Four of them were innate martial artists, and two were Foundation Establishment cultivators.

They stayed in the bedchamber for about an hour, and then left quietly in batches, the whole process being completely silent.

If Lu Lin's five senses were not far beyond those of ordinary people, it would be extremely difficult for an ordinary innate martial artist to detect this commotion.

"This Prince Jing... his ambitions are far from small," Lu Lin thought to himself, before quietly returning to his room without alerting anyone.

Time flies, and another five days have passed.

Lu Lin's guest room was not far from Murong Cheng's residence.

That day, as soon as he stepped out of the courtyard gate, he saw Murong Cheng returning with his two elderly relatives, one fat and one thin, both looking furious.

"What's wrong with the young prince?" Lu Lin asked quietly to the two old men, one fat and one thin, who were lagging behind.

"Sigh," the fat man explained in a low voice, "Lin Donghai, one of the five great masters of the Immortal Mansion, is about to celebrate his three hundredth birthday. The prince wanted to take the young prince to celebrate with him. The young prince refused to go and had a big argument with the prince."

The Immortal Abode was established jointly by the five major sects to manage the Yan Kingdom's court. It has five Abode Masters, each appointed by a master from one of the five major sects.

Any major decision requires a vote from all five palace masters. Lu Lin had heard of Lin Donghai; he was the palace master sent by the Blood Fiend Demon Sect to the Immortal Palace.

"Why would the young prince argue with the prince over this matter?" Lu Lin asked, puzzled.

"This..." The two old men, one fat and one thin, exchanged a glance, their faces showing difficulty, as if they didn't know how to start the conversation.

"If it's inconvenient for you two to say, then let's leave it at that," Lu Lin said understandingly.

"Actually... there's nothing that can't be said." At this moment, Murong Cheng's voice came.

The anger on his face had mostly subsided, and his emotions had clearly calmed down considerably. "Senior Tang, please come inside to talk."

Lu Lin nodded and followed Murong Cheng into his residence.

Inside the hall, the servants had already served fragrant tea and then left, leaving only Lu Lin, Murong Cheng, and the two old men, one fat and one thin.

Murong Cheng picked up his teacup but didn't drink. His gaze grew cold as he slowly spoke, his voice filled with chilling indignation and murderous intent:
"That Lin Donghai, he killed my sister! This is an irreconcilable feud!"

(End of this chapter)