Chapter 120: The Millennial Elixir Herb

Chapter 120: The Millennial Elixir Herb

Upon hearing the words of his third brother, Xue Qinghe couldn't help but wonder what calculations were behind his actions. It seemed that his prolonged stay at Tianwu Academy had left him with little to offer.

Hearing the words of his third son, Emperor Xueye felt a bit displeased. He, too, was well aware of the difficulties the academy had faced in recent years. He was not entirely happy with his son for bringing up these sensitive issues so bluntly.

However, he couldn't very well reprimand him directly, given his own actions over the years. His blatant favoritism was obvious to everyone in the royal family, so it seemed only fair that the firstborn prince faced some opposition.

Besides, this was a private meeting, and there was no need to be overly critical. As long as the intention was there, that was enough.

"Your Majesty, working tirelessly day and night, your son has especially found a millennium-old ginseng for you. Please accept this humble gift."

Xue Qinghe stepped away from Emperor Xueye's side and retreated to the desk, where he reached into his spatial soul guiding device and retrieved a wooden box.

The box measured thirty centimeters in length, ten centimeters in width, and five centimeters in thickness. Its surface was intricately carved with a panorama of a majestic river and mountain landscape, and on its side were several lines of dancing dragon and phoenix motifs.

"Grateful for your grace and guidance, we navigate the waves and repay your benevolence with utmost sincerity."

This phrase expressed gratitude for the emperor's teachings and blessings over the years.

"With this humble offering, we wish you longevity and good health, and may your reign be eternal."

The latter phrase conveyed blessings for the emperor's well-being and a long life.

The third prince's eyes flickered at the sight of the wooden box, and he watched as his father took it from him.

Though he wanted to open the box to verify if it truly held a millennium-old ginseng, he dared not ruin his father's excitement. He guessed that if he displeased the emperor, his position as the firstborn son might be at stake.

"Your Majesty, why don't you open the gift your son has presented to you?" Xue Qinghe asked, puzzled, as he saw his father about to put the box away without inspecting its contents.

Seeing the expression on his firstborn son's face, Emperor Xueye smiled. He knew his son well—he would not speak or act without certainty.

The emperor caressed the box gently, admiring the intricate patterns on its surface. He could almost envision his son painstakingly carving those very patterns by the light of an oil lamp.

When he opened the box, there was an additional layer of protection inside.

No wonder they hadn't been able to smell any medicinal fragrance from the box—there was a special sealing measure in place.

It was a red cloth, seemingly made from the fur of a spiritual beast. As he unfolded the luxurious cloth, a refreshing herbal fragrance wafted past their noses.

It truly was a high-quality ginseng.

When the red cloth was fully unveiled, they saw a ginseng root as thick as a carrot.

If not for the potent aroma it exuded, they might have mistaken it for an ordinary vegetable.

The third prince's eyes nearly popped out of his head, and he reached out to grab the ginseng for a closer inspection.

However, the ginseng was tied to the bottom of the box with a golden thread, and his hasty grasp nearly snapped the thread, leaving some marks on the ginseng's surface. The action only intensified the fragrance.

Seeing his third son's impulsive behavior, Emperor Xueye sighed and gestured for him to leave.

"As punishment, you will meditate in your room for three months, and during that time, you will copy the rules of etiquette a hundred times!"

Realizing he had let his emotions get the better of him, the third prince could only meekly reply, "Oh," before slinking away.

As he exited, he happened to see a guard approaching the emperor.

"Uncle Ren, do you have a report to make?" The third prince stopped the guard and addressed him politely as "Uncle."

In the face of the third prince, most of the royal family of Tian Dou would give him some face.

"His Majesty is currently exchanging ideas with Big Brother, and since they haven't seen each other for so long, let's leave them some time. Uncle Ren, it's better if you don't disturb them. I'll go and talk to Uncle Ning."

The third prince looked innocently sincere, and the guard nodded slightly, having apparently also received news of the first prince's return.

"Then we'll have to trouble the third prince."

After saying this, he turned and walked in the other direction.

Seeing the guard disappear around the corner, the third prince then headed towards the guest hall.

Once he had left, the guard reappeared.

He served the Emperor of Tian Dou and was not a tool for the princes to command, so he didn't need to obey their orders unquestioningly.

If he really listened to the orders of a certain prince, it would mean taking sides prematurely, and the most taboo thing about staying by the emperor's side was taking sides prematurely.

Now that he was also a favorite of Emperor Xue Ye, with a comfortable salary and no family conflicts, he didn't need to side with anyone.

Coming to the door of Emperor Xue Ye's room, the guard knocked very politely.

"Your Majesty, Clan Head Ning of the Seven Treasures Liuli Sect requests an audience. The third prince is now in the reception room, hosting Clan Head Ning."

There was a moment of silence in the room, and just as the guard suspected that he had messed something up, Emperor Xue Ye's voice sounded.

"Since the third one has gone, let him talk to Clan Head Ning. I'm not feeling well today and am not suited to go out.

I will personally visit Clan Head Ning at the Seven Treasures Liuli Sect another day."

Hearing this, the guard accepted the order and withdrew.

In the room, Xue Qinghe looked at his father in surprise.

"Father, why not meet with Clan Head Ning since he's here?"

Hearing this, Xue Qinghe raised his eyebrows and then chuckled, shaking his head helplessly.

"You've been away from Tiandou City for a long time and may not know, but there are some problems within the Seven Treasures Liuli Sect now.

A few years ago, didn't Wang Si have two sets of cultivation techniques? One could enhance physical strength, and the other could purify bloodline concentration.

The Seven Treasures Liuli Sect made a lot of money because of this."

Hearing this, Xue Qinghe nodded slightly.

He knew, and he had even witnessed the process of Wang Si releasing the second set of cultivation techniques from a third-person perspective.

During this period, he also saw how the Seven Treasures Liuli Sect treated Wang Si, the Wuhun Temple, and the royal family in private.

It couldn't be said to be good.

"The problem lies in the cultivation technique. The technique for enhancing the physique can be learned by all soul masters without any threshold.

But purifying the bloodline, this cultivation technique is more helpful to beast soul masters.

As we all know, the Seven Treasures Liuli Sect is a merchant force led by auxiliary soul masters and supported by strong offensive soul masters.

Auxiliary soul masters have always been the leaders, with offensive soul masters playing a secondary role.

But the emergence of two sets of cultivation techniques has changed this situation, and some offensive soul masters of the Seven Treasures Liuli Sect have begun to disobey the management of auxiliary soul masters."

Hearing this, Xue Qinghe nodded slightly without any expression.

"But what does this have to do with us?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end