Chapter 128: Lin Qi’an Turns Hostile—Are You Teaching Me How to Act?
Lin Qi’an leisurely finished his tea before finally glancing at the Right Envoy, Yue Lin, with a nonchalant look. He spoke lazily, “So, tell me, what does the Xiling Spirit Temple want with me?”
Finally, the critical moment had arrived!
The hearts of everyone on Qinglian Immortal Island, including the Island Lord and the Saintess, began pounding in their chests as they held their breath, listening intently.
“Your Highness, I come representing the Xiling Spirit Temple to pay my respects. These humble gifts are for you,” Yue Lin said, forcing a smile as he began to pull items from his storage ring.
“This is a Tianshan Snow Lotus, a rare treasure that blooms once every hundred years. It contains immense cold energy and can aid in cultivating ice-related divine abilities.”
Hearing this, Su Xueni’s eyes sparkled. That was a fantastic treasure!
“The second gift is a spirit beast nurtured by the Xiling Spirit Temple, called the Hundred-Song Phoenix Bird. It is said to carry a trace of the ancient divine phoenix’s bloodline and is incredibly rare.” Yue Lin produced a cage containing a small, golden-feathered bird that looked extremely cute and lively.
Ran Yuwei practically melted on the spot, her eyes lighting up with desire. She could hardly resist the urge to reach out and pet the bird.
“The third item is this.” Yue Lin retrieved a black sandalwood box, opening it to reveal an elegant dress.
“This is a Flowing Cloud Rainbow Skirt, woven from celestial threads. It changes colors with the weather, and at sunset, it’s said to be breathtakingly beautiful.”
As expected, Zi Lianyou bit her lip, barely containing her excitement. She liked it so much that she was almost ready to shout it out.
However, they all knew these gifts were meant to bribe the Crown Prince, not for their personal indulgence. Lin Qi’an wasn’t going to accept them.
It was a shame, but the bigger picture was more important, and they couldn’t disturb the Crown Prince’s plans.
Yue Lin, on the other hand, was inwardly feeling the pain. The Xiling Spirit Temple had spared no expense to bribe Lin Qi’an. They knew that ordinary items wouldn’t interest him, so they decided to flatter his maids instead. That way, Lin Qi’an might be swayed by their affections.
“Is the Crown Prince satisfied with these gifts?” Yue Lin asked, forcing another smile.
“Nothing comes without a reason. So, what’s the issue you’re here for?” Lin Qi’an wasn’t interested in judging the gifts. He wanted to get to the point.
“Well then, I’ll be frank,” Yue Lin began, dropping all pretense. “The Xiling Spirit Temple requests that Your Highness leave Qinglian Immortal Island and not get involved in these petty conflicts.”
“The incident with the Jiao Dragon Divine Son’s tendon being extracted… The Jiao Dragon Clan has said they won’t pursue the matter any further.”
The moment those words left Yue Lin’s mouth, Lu Miaoyin’s eyebrows furrowed, and the Island Lord’s face immediately darkened.
No one had expected that the extravagant gifts were simply meant to convince the Crown Prince to leave! If Lin Qi’an truly left, the Jiao Dragon Clan’s wrath would fall entirely upon Qinglian Immortal Island. That would spell disaster for the island, which would be defenseless against the Jiao Dragons.
But no one had the right to persuade Lin Qi’an to stay. Qinglian Immortal Island couldn’t offer gifts of such value, nor did they have the background to compete with the Xiling Spirit Temple.
The choice was clear—any reasonable person would side with the temple. After all, they had shown ample respect and sincerity.
Ah… Xueni, take the gifts,” Lin Qi’an said with a smile.
“Take…them?” Su Xueni was momentarily stunned but quickly obeyed, carefully putting the gifts away.
Seeing the gifts accepted, Yue Lin felt a sense of satisfaction. It seemed like his mission had been a success. Finally, they had managed to placate this troublesome Crown Prince!
“Your Highness…” Lu Miaoyin bit her lip, her bright eyes dimming with despair.
As soon as the gifts were accepted, she realized that Qinglian Immortal Island was doomed. Perhaps the Crown Prince would protect her personally, but her home—the place she had grown up—was sure to face the full brunt of the Jiao Dragon Clan’s vengeance.
The thought of the island’s children and citizens suffering at the hands of the Jiao Dragons filled her with grief. She had resolved to share in Qinglian Immortal Island’s fate, come what may.
The Island Lord was equally heartbroken, his face ashen, his lips quivering, unable to utter a word. It was all too expected.
Who in their right mind would offend the Xiling Spirit Temple for the sake of a small island like theirs? Especially when the temple had come bearing gifts as a sign of respect! That Lin Qi’an accepted the gifts was the most logical outcome—no one could question his decision.
After hesitating for a moment, Ran Yuwei, more emotional and straightforward than the others, boldly spoke up.
“Your Highness… Can we not accept these gifts?” She wasn’t good at hiding her feelings, and despite her love for the spirit beast, she couldn’t bear to see Qinglian Immortal Island fall to the Jiao Dragons.
Although she understood that accepting the gifts was the best move for the bigger picture, her heart wouldn’t allow it.
Yue Lin’s expression darkened slightly, a flicker of irritation crossing his eyes.
‘This maid thinks too highly of herself,’ he thought. ‘Does she really think these gifts were meant for her? Who does she think she is?’
“Why not accept them? They’ve come all this way with such valuable offerings,” Lin Qi’an said with a smirk. “If I say we’ll accept them, then we’ll accept them.”
“Your Highness is wise!” Yue Lin echoed, laughing along, relieved.
A cold thought flashed through Yue Lin’s mind as he glared at Ran Yuwei. ‘This maid must be from some small sect in the desert.’ He considered hiring assassins to wipe out her sect as punishment for her insolence. That would teach her the price of speaking out of turn.
“Alright, I’ve accepted your gifts. You may leave now,” Lin Qi’an said, his tone dismissive.
“And when will Your Highness be departing?” Yue Lin asked politely, though there was a hint of urgency in his voice.
“Who told you I’m leaving?”
The moment those words left Lin Qi’an’s mouth, the entire hall fell silent. It was as if a sudden chill swept through the room—so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Everyone, including the maids, was stunned by the Crown Prince’s response. No one had expected him to outright reverse his decision, especially after accepting the gifts.
“Your Highness… what does that mean?” Yue Lin’s tone grew heavier, and the forced smile on his face slowly faded away.
“Didn’t understand?” Lin Qi’an’s eyes gleamed coldly. “It’s fine for your Xiling Spirit Temple to come bearing gifts to curry favor with me. But to think you could dictate how I act? You’re overestimating yourselves.”
The meaning was crystal clear. ‘Gifts, he would accept.’ But leaving Qinglian Immortal Island? That was out of the question.
The Xiling Spirit Temple, in his eyes, didn’t have the authority to command him. The sharp intake of breath was nearly unanimous among everyone present.
The people of Qinglian Immortal Island were in shock. No one could have foreseen such a turn of events. It was truly a situation of despair one moment, followed by a glimmer of hope the next. The unpredictability of the Crown Prince’s actions left everyone in awe.
To be so brazen as to openly defy the Xiling Spirit Temple, and even insult them after accepting their gifts, was unheard of. Yet the Crown Prince did so with an air of absolute confidence.
Amid the shock, there was an undercurrent of excitement. The people of Qinglian Immortal Island were filled with admiration and gratitude for Lin Qi’an’s stance. The Crown Prince had kept his word—he would bear all consequences, even if the Xiling Spirit Temple got involved.
Lu Miaoyin’s heart swelled with gratitude. Her eyes sparkled with a growing affection for the Crown Prince, who was not only handsome but also protective. Being under his protection felt so safe.
Ran Yuwei, after a brief moment of surprise, burst into a broad smile, her heart brimming with joy. She adored Lin Qi’an even more now. How could any woman not fall for such a charming and charismatic man?
Finally, Yue Lin could no longer suppress his anger. His voice rose in fury as he spoke each word deliberately, “It seems that the Beiyang Crown Prince… has no regard for the Xiling Spirit Temple at all!”
Lin Qi’an couldn’t help but laugh at that, a low, mocking laugh. Suddenly, he slammed the jade cup in his hand onto the floor, shattering it into pieces.
Crash!
The sound echoed through the hall as the cup broke into fragments.
Lin Qi’an’s voice rose with a commanding presence, reverberating through the room, “Is it that I have no regard for the Xiling Spirit Temple? Or is it that your Xiling Spirit Temple has no regard for Tianjian City!”
The weight of those words crushed the air in the room, as if the mere mention of Tianjian City could suffocate anyone. The Dragon’s Might subtly emanating from Lin Qi’an made everyone’s hearts tremble, and no one dared to meet his gaze.
“A mere Right Envoy comes here, brings a few scraps, and thinks he can tell me what to do? If the Xiling Spirit Emperor himself had come, I might have given him some face.”
“But who do you think you are? Get out!” The final word, delivered with Dragon’s Might, hit Yue Lin like a hammer. He stumbled backward several steps and fell to one knee, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
With just a single shout, the Crown Prince had inflicted internal injuries on a fellow ‘Cestial Realm’ expert!
Everyone was shocked into silence, fully realizing the terrifying extent of the Crown Prince’s power. The people of Qinglian Immortal Island, who had been cautiously polite to Yue Lin out of fear, were now filled with a sense of satisfaction.
This Right Envoy, who had insulted them and acted so high and mighty, was nothing more than a powerless figure before Lin Qi’an.
The three maids were overjoyed—not only did they get to keep the treasures, but they had also successfully rejected the Xiling Spirit Temple’s demands. It was a win-win!
At this point, Yue Lin finally understood that Lin Qi’an was an immovable force, a hard bone to chew. He sighed, deciding to reveal the truth.
“Your Highness, do you even know why the Xiling Spirit Temple sent me here? It wasn’t just about the Jiao Dragon Clan.”
His words confused the crowd. If not for the Jiao Dragon Clan, then why?
“The Jiao Dragon Clan has a guest from the Dao Domain—a member of the Kui Dragon Clan.”
“The Jiao Dragon Divine Son you injured is someone that the Kui Dragon Clan had taken an interest in! If you’ve offended them, it will cause major trouble for you.”
“The Xiling Spirit Temple simply wanted to prevent this from escalating. I advise Your Highness to consider this carefully.”
An external clan from the Dao Domain?
Everyone exchanged uncertain glances. If this was true, the implications were far more severe than they had initially thought.