Chapter 164: Becoming a Public Enemy
Translator: KurazyTolanzuraytor Editor: Lucas
When Duan Ling Tian had only just appeared, Princess Bi Yao’s water-like, beautiful eyes were extremely calm as they gazed at Duan Ling Tian, but now they had ripples within.
This youth was completely different from those people she usually saw. When faced with the mockery of others, he was still able to stay aloof from the matter and be indifferent. It was difficult to imagine how a youth would actually have such terrifying mental strength!
"Young Master Duan, Bi Yao has heard of your deeds, and I deeply admire you. Bi Yao will use this tea as wine to toast you." Eventually, Princess Bi Yao spoke, and her clear voice suppressed the mocking voices of the crowd of young talents.
Duan Ling Tian’s gaze slightly flickered, as he noticed that this Princess Bi Yao was helping him.
Presently, even the host, the Third Prince, was looking on coldly from the side and didn’t speak up…
"This Princess Bi Yao is truly pure. It’s really rare that she’s able to maintain this heart of hers in the Imperial Family that is full of mutual deception," Duan Ling Tian thought in his heart, before raising his wine cup and nodding to Princess Bi Yao.
After finishing the wine in his glass with a single gulp, Duan Ling Tian laughed in a carefree manner. "I heard that Princess Bi Yao was the number one beauty in the Imperial City. Now that I’ve met you, I see that you’re truly deserving of your reputation. I wonder who will be lucky enough to take Princess Bi Yao as his bride in the future. It would absolutely be the fortune that that person accumulated for a lifetime."
"Young Master Duan, you jest." Even Princess Bi Yao, who was accustomed to hearing flattery, couldn’t prevent her face from blushing, and her heartbeat increased a little bit…
The young talents present looked at the Duan Ling Tian with even more envious gazes when they noticed Duan Ling Tian and Princess Bi Yao chatting and laughing happily as if no one else was present.
"I raise my cup in toast to everyone who granted me the favor of their presence in my banquet today." The Third Prince, who had never spoken and maintained silence as he waited for events to unfold, noticed the atmosphere turning slightly off, so he raised his wine cup to break the atmosphere that was filled with sour envy.
The corners of Duan Ling Tian’s mouth raised as they curled into a light angle. As expected, the Third Prince was no simple figure!
Duan Ling Tian was suspicious that the Third Prince intended on probing him from the moment he asked him to sit on that seat…. However, he wasn’t able to fully wrap his head around the matter.
If the Third Prince was really probing him, then what was the point of doing this?
Duan Ling Tian lightly shook his head and decided not to think about it anymore, as he only came here to have a free meal. What did everything else have to do with him?
As long as these people didn’t go overboard, he would only take it as a group of mad dogs barking. If they were to go overboard, then he wouldn’t be someone that was easy to offend!
As he thought up to this point, Duan Ling Tian’s calm gaze flashed with a strand of dense, cold light.
During the banquet, most of the young talents present were mostly trying to strike a conversation with Princess Bi Yao. As far as they were concerned, if they were able to obtain her, they would be able to move up rapidly in the world and soar into the sky in one go!
After all, Princess Bi Yao was the daughter that the current Emperor doted on the most, so if one of them were to become the Emperor’s son in law, then it would also mean that they’d have to struggle for 30 years less.
Only Duan Ling Tian drank and ate by himself, as the way the group of young talents acted was no different than a circus to him.
The surprise in the Third Prince’s eyes grew even stronger, as he noticed that this Duan Ling Tian was even more unfathomable than he’d imagined.
He originally thought that even if Duan Ling Tian’s natural talent in the Martial Dao was high, a mere youth would be lacking in life experiences and thus could be used…. However, he now realized that this youth’s wisdom surpassed any one of these other young talents’ wisdom.
Even he was slightly unable to see through this youth, and he suddenly felt that it would be practically impossible for him to control this youth.
"Brother Ling Tian." The Third Prince abruptly spoke, and a stream of wisdom flashed within his eyes.
The entire building at the heart of the pond went silent the moment the Third Prince spoke; even the group of young talents that was showing off their elegant demeanor to their hearts’ content in front of Princess Bi Yao had now restrained themselves…. And their gazes once again descended upon Duan Ling Tian.
Duan Ling Tian originally thought that he could eat and drink in peace before leaving without a care, but when he noticed the smile in the corners of the Third Prince’s mouth, his heart jerked and he suddenly had a bad premonition.
As expected, the Third Prince gazed at Duan Ling Tian and lightly smiled. "As a matter of fact, this sister of mine is at the age of marriage. The person she admires the most in her life is your father, the peerless genius, Duan Ru Feng, whose name previously spread across the Crimson Sky Kingdom. She even saw him as her idol."
"She even once said that if she were to marry in this life, then it would surely be to a figure of shocking talent like Duan Ru Feng…. In my opinion, the elegant demeanor that Brother Ling Tian revealed now even surpasses that of your father years ago!" The Third Prince’s speech seemed to point to something as he glanced at Duan Ling Tian with a dubious gaze.
"Third Brother, what nonsense are you speaking of?" Princess Bi Yao’s face froze, as she was completely stunned.
When had she ever said something like this?
Before long, she noticed that the young talents present now looked at Duan Ling Tian with gazes filled with a sense of hostility…. She was intelligent, so she immediately understood her third brother’s intentions.
She was slightly enraged within her heart, but in the end she didn’t say anything due to being hindered by the familial bonds of brother and sister…
A bitter smile appeared on the corners of her mouth when she noticed Duan Ling Tian looking at her with a questioning gaze, and she lightly shook her head.
When Duan Ling Tian looked at Princess Bi Yao, he noticed innocence from within Princess Bi Yao’s gaze, and at the same time he could feel her helplessness…
He instantly understood the intentions of the Third Prince, and he couldn’t help but sneer in his heart!
This Third Prince is easy to get along with? For the first time, disgust towards the Third Prince arose within his heart….
However, he didn’t say anything and instead was fearless towards those envious gazes that descended onto him. He looked at the Third Prince and smiled lightly. "If that’s the case, then I hope Third Prince can slightly help your sister and I. Allow me to accompany her on a stroll around the lake. How about it?"
The Third Prince’s face froze. Never had he imagined that this Duan Ling Tian’s face was so thick that he would actually follow the flow and use it as an opportunity to gain an advantage!
Just when he was at a loss for words.
Su Lan’s face went grim. "Duan Ling Tian, who do you think you are, actually daring to be so presumptuous in front of Third Prince?!" he shouted in a low voice, as if wanting to show off before the Third Prince and Princess Bi Yao…
Duan Ling Tian’s brows knitted as his gaze descended upon Su Lan and he indifferently asked, "You’re called Su Lan, right?"
"Exactly, I’m Su Lan!" Su Lan held his head high with a face full of arrogance.
"Su Lan, you ask who I think I am, but I wonder who do you think you are? I’m speaking to Third Prince, and even Third Prince hasn’t said anything, but you are here being presumptuous and usurping his role as host…. Looks like you think nothing of the Third Prince!" The corners of Duan Ling Tian’s mouth curled into a slightly evil smile, his voice slowly grew louder, and as he finished, it was filled with awe-inspiring righteousness.
Instantly, Su Lan was scared to the point that his face went ghastly pale.
"Third Prince, I….I didn’t have that intention." Su Lan looked at Third Prince as he hurriedly explained. He seemed like a guilty person who had given himself away with a clumsy denial.
When Third Prince glanced at Su Lan, his calm gaze had a sense of displeasure mixed within, but before long it recovered to his usual amiable appearance.
Duan Ling Tian became vigilant, as this Third Prince was absolutely a wolf at heart but innocent in appearance!
This sort of person was a wolf in sheep’s clothing and was extremely terrifying.
"Brother Ling Tian, I naturally have no objections to what you said…." Third Prince slowly said.
Princess Bi Yao’s heartbeat abruptly increased when she heard what Third Prince said, and she snuck a peek at Duan Ling Tian. A tiny bit of rosy red had appeared on her pretty face.
Am I really going to take a stroll around the lake with him?
However, Duan Ling Tian’s gaze on Third Prince had never once changed, because he discerned from Third Prince’s gaze that he wouldn’t agree so easily.
As expected, Third Prince’s gaze then descended upon the other young talents that were present. "However… that would be unfair to the others that are present here. How about this: the strong are respected within the Crimson Sky Kingdom, and most of the young talents present here are at the top of the ninth level of the Core Formation Stage…."
"Brother Ling Tian, if you can defeat them and make them be sincerely convinced, then I’m sure they wouldn’t have any objections. Everyone, what do all of you think?" Third Prince’s gaze descended onto Duan Ling Tian for a moment before moving to the crowd of people.
"Third Prince is wise!"
"Precisely!"
Instantly, the young talents rubbed their palms and fists together, emitting a bearing that showed they wanted to show off in front of Princess Bi Yao and Third Prince.
"Third Prince, although we are all similarly at the ninth level of the Core Formation Stage like Duan Ling Tian, he possesses a grade seven spirit weapon. If he were to rely on the might of his spirit weapon, it would be like winning without relying on his own strength." Some astute individuals couldn’t help but voice out.
According to the rumors, the only reason Duan Ling Tian was able to kill Duan Ling Xing, who was at the same cultivation level as him, was by relying on the grade seven spirit weapon in his possession…. This point was something that was no secret within the Imperial City.
Noticing the Third Prince looking over, the corners of Duan Ling Tian’s mouth curled into a smile. "Then I won’t use a spirit weapon."
"Brother Ling Tian is outright as expected…. This how about this; anyone who battles Brother Ling Tian is prohibited from using any form or source of external strength!" The Third Prince laughed heartily, and a trace of a scheme succeeding flashed within his eyes.
Everyone present, including him, didn’t think that Duan Ling Tian would be capable of suppressing all of the other ninth level Core Formation martial artists without using his grade seven spirit weapon, because ordinarily speaking, martial artists at the same level of cultivation had the same amount of strength.
The only difference was the stage of their martial skills. The party with the martial skill at a higher level would be the party that occupied the advantageous position.
The young talents that he invited to this banquet were practically all 20 to 25-year-old genius martial artists who had cultivated their martial skills for many years…
In terms of martial skills, they would absolutely be not inferior to Duan Ling Tian!
"Third Brother!" Princess Bi Yao had been tolerating it for so long, but when she saw Duan Ling Tian becoming the ‘public enemy’ of the young talents present here due to the Third Prince’s intentional guidance, her pretty face flushed for a moment and she couldn’t help herself from voicing out.
Her tolerance had reached its limit!
"Bi Yao, don’t worry, it’s only a spar. Your ‘sweetheart’ will be fine." Third Prince lightly smiled.
The expressions of the young talents present went grim when they heard this, and their eyes filled with cold lights when they noticed Princess Bi Yao being so worried about Duan Ling Tian!