Chapter 104: Proclaiming Across the World to Recruit Maids, the Crown Prince Has Gone Crazy! freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
Ding!
A new task has been issued to assist the host in becoming a supreme villain.
Task 1: Announce to the world that the most outstanding woman at the literary meet will be invited to serve the Crown Prince personally.
Task 2: At the literary meet, use crude and harsh language to belittle the Destined Child.
Reward: 100,000 Villain Points.
Lin Qi’an, who had been lounging comfortably with his head resting on Su Xueni’s lap, suddenly jolted awake upon hearing the system’s notification.
These tasks… they reek of villainy!
A literary meet? That was supposed to be a refined gathering of scholars and literati, where the main focus was on elegance, with activities such as playing the qin, chess, calligraphy, and poetry recitation. The participants were all cultured individuals, polite and courteous.
Yet here Lin Qi’an was, tasked with issuing an announcement about inviting women to serve as personal companions in such a sophisticated setting! It was utterly shameless, scandalous even, as if blinded by lust.
To top it off, he had to choose the woman who performed the best at the literary meet, making it even more thrilling—truly a villain’s style.
The second task was even more classic: belittle the Destined Child with biting sarcasm. Such scenes usually led to the protagonist pulling off some dazzling move to turn the tables. This type of trope was as common as they come.
But since the task was already issued, how could he not accept it? After all, 100,000 Villain Points was no small sum. Plus, along the way, there would surely be more opportunities to earn a large wave of Villain Points. He really needed those points.
“Your Highness, you’re awake?” Su Xueni asked softly, her voice filled with concern as her gentle fragrance wafted over.
“Mmm.” Lin Qi’an stretched and lifted the curtain of the carriage. “Someone, come here!”
“What are your orders, Your Highness?” A sword guard in white immediately stepped forward.
To accompany the Crown Prince on his travels was considered the greatest honor, not to mention that he was the champion of the Great Hunt and the pride of Beiyang. The last group of guards who had accompanied him on a mission received great rewards when they returned. This kind of duty was far more enjoyable than working in Tianjian City.
“Announce my decree to the world,” Lin Qi’an ordered calmly. “Say that I have four words that I do not fully understand, and the woman who performs best at the literary meet will have the honor of joining me to comprehend them.”
With a wave of his finger, Lin Qi’an wrote four golden characters in the air: Feng Hua Xue Yue (Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon).
“Understood! I will take care of it immediately,” the guard replied.
The maids were left in shock as they watched the scene unfold. The hidden meaning behind comprehending the four characters together was obvious—it was an open invitation to be his personal maid in bed!
Oh my heavens…
“As expected of the Crown Prince, always capable of doing things we couldn’t even imagine!”
“Turning an elegant literary meet into a competition for bed maids… Only the Crown Prince could pull off something like this!”
Su Xueni and Ran Yuwei, on the other hand, were quite calm. After all, they were already secure in their positions and had no reason to worry.
However, Zhao Qingmeng was instantly furious, “Lin Qi’an, you shameless scoundrel! You’re looking for a bed maid even at the literary meet? Why don’t you just ascend to the heavens while you’re at it!”
Why don’t you choose me instead?! she raged internally.
Lin Qi’an, knowing exactly why she was so upset, couldn’t help but chuckle. I had planned to choose you, but this is a system task. Plans change.
“Don’t worry, as the saying goes, ‘Thirty years to the east of the river, thirty years to the west; fortunes change in turn.’”
“Fortune my foot!” Zhao Qingmeng wanted to kick him off the carriage.
Even Zi Lianyou was getting anxious. Grabbing Su Xueni’s hand, she asked, “Sister Xueni, do you think I still have time to cram and improve my literary skills?”
“I’m afraid… it’s a little late for that,” Su Xueni replied, covering her mouth as she giggled softly.
Zi Lianyou: QAQ…
(TL: QAQ is a crying or feeling sad emoticon/emoji)
In any case, once the sword guards spread the message, the news exploded like wildfire throughout the northern part of the Canglan Dao Domain!
Beiyang, located in the northern region of the Canglan Dao Domain, was surrounded by tens of thousands of sects and sacred lands, both big and small. The first to receive the message, naturally, was the host of the literary meet, Yunmo Dao Palace.
“Urgent news! The Crown Prince of Beiyang, Lin Qi’an, has announced that the woman who performs best at the literary meet will have the honor of helping him comprehend four characters!”
“What four characters?”
Feng Hua Xue Yue (Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon).
“What?!”
“To put it bluntly, the Crown Prince wants to select the most outstanding woman at the literary meet to be his bed maid!”
Upon receiving the news, Yunmo Dao Palace was thrown into chaos.
At first glance, Lin Qi’an’s demand seemed absurd and inappropriate, completely at odds with the elegant nature of the literary meet, but he was the Crown Prince of Beiyang, the son of the Sword Emperor, and the champion of the Great Hunt!
During the Great Hunt, he single-handedly defeated Princess Zhao Yunji of Tai’an and claimed the title of champion, even handling a demonic beast that the Sword Emperor himself couldn’t defeat. The news of this battle had spread far and wide, across the entire land.
Who didn’t know his name by now? Without exaggeration, Lin Qi’an was the undisputed top prodigy of the younger generation in the Canglan Dao Domain!
Being chosen by him would not only offer the possibility of soaring to great heights but would also grant immediate access to the powerful Beiyang faction, ensuring a life of comfort. Which sect wouldn’t want to cling to such an influential figure?
The Holy Land of Tianchi was the first example. Ever since the Crown Prince had taken an interest in the Holy Maiden of Tianchi, sects from all around had come daily with gifts and offerings, doubling Tianchi’s influence in the process.
And all of this was simply because the Crown Prince had shown interest in the Holy Maiden. Lin Qi’an, the Crown Prince of Beiyang, had the right and the stature to do as he pleased.
The elder of Yunmo Dao Palace hastily declared, “For this literary meet, all outstanding women should be encouraged to participate as much as possible!”
The more women there were, the better the chances that one might catch the Crown Prince’s eye.
Even the Saintess Mo Shuiqiu had heard the news. Her heart raced with excitement. She was in her study at the time and slowly set down her calligraphy brush. On her desk lay a painting of a man, elegant and refined, handsome and dignified.
Ever since she returned from the Great Hunt, she had been restless, her heart unable to find peace. Only when she painted his portrait could she feel a moment of calm.
She had been eagerly awaiting the literary meet every day, and now that the Crown Prince had spoken, her chances, as one of the most talented women of her generation, seemed very promising. She couldn’t help but feel a secret joy.
Her only real competition would likely be Saintess Lu Miaoyin from Qinglian Holy Island. Once Miaoyin arrived, Mo Shuiqiu intended to have a word with her. After all, she was confident that Miaoyin wasn’t the type to be interested in men anyway.
Qinglian Holy Island, a peaceful and isolated sect on a mystical island far from the mainland, was a sanctuary of tranquility.
A scholar dressed in a Confucian robe was pacing back and forth, furious. His name was Ji Bai, the top scholar of the Dust Dynasty’s imperial exams.
Due to his exceptional literary talent, he had been invited to Qinglian Holy Island by its cultivators. Though he lacked cultivation, his knowledge and scholarship earned him immense respect, and he enjoyed the best treatment possible for an ordinary man.
“The literary meet is about to begin, and the Crown Prince of Beiyang wants to take the most talented woman for himself!”
When Ji Bai heard the news, his usual calm composure shattered in an instant. The person he had long admired—the Qinglian Saintess, the woman of his dreams—was very likely to be the most talented woman at the literary meet!
He rushed to the lotus pond, where that familiar graceful figure in a green dress was feeding the fish. Her slender eyebrows, snow-white skin, and flowing dress that bloomed like a lotus highlighted her serene beauty.
Though she had been ranked third on the Saintess List, in Ji Bai’s heart, she was unquestionably number one. No one could match her elegance and beauty.
“Miaoyin!”
“What’s the rush?” Lu Miaoyin asked in her usual calm tone as she continued to scatter feed for the fish, her voice as gentle as ever, exuding a transcendent aura.
“Have you heard the news from the Crown Prince of Beiyang? His intentions are utterly vulgar! You shouldn’t attend the literary meet this time.”
“Why pay it any mind?” Lu Miaoyin turned to face him, her beauty as serene as a lotus in bloom. Just looking at her brought a sense of peace to one’s heart.
“Though the Crown Prince of Beiyang may be a peerless prodigy, he is not the man my heart desires. Even if I attend the literary meet, I won’t be competing for such a position.”
“That’s wonderful!” Ji Bai was overjoyed, a huge weight lifting from his heart. Lu Miaoyin was someone he could trust.
She wasn’t the type to be swayed by power or status, and no matter how powerful a man was, he wouldn’t catch her interest. He was determined to make the Crown Prince realize that the literary meet was not a place for vulgar displays of power.
In another carriage, Zhao Ziyu was also on his way to the literary meet. He knew that Lu Miaoyin had a calm and refined temperament, and using force would never work with her.
The best approach was to use his literary talent to win her over and capture her heart. To ensure his success, he had even brought along the national scholar of his immortal dynasty to offer advice in secret.
With such backing, he was certain that he would be able to win over Lu Miaoyin!
“Your Highness… we have a problem!”
“What is it?”
“News has arrived that the Crown Prince of Beiyang has issued an invitation to the world. He plans to invite the most outstanding woman at the literary meet to join him in comprehending four characters!”
“What four characters?”
Feng Hua Xue Yue (Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon).
Zhao Ziyu was left dumbstruck, his eyes wide with disbelief. How dare he? To be so vulgar and arrogant at a literary meet—wasn’t he afraid of alienating the noble women with such crude behavior?
“The Crown Prince of Beiyang truly is a vulgar man! When I arrive, I must teach him a lesson and put him in his place.”