Chapter 254: Crown Prince Long Jingyao’s Night Talk

Chapter 254: Chapter 254: Crown Prince Long Jingyao’s Night Talk

The man was the Crown Prince of the Hua Xu Empire, second only to one and above hundreds of millions. Now that he was here, it wasn’t as if they could just send him away.

The men paid no mind to their statuses and sat cross-legged on the ground.

Seeing this, Leng Yingxue stood up, went straight back to her bedroom, and shut the door.

She was, after all, a cold and proud woman. She could tolerate being around Chu Fan—they had been intimate, and he was the man she was closest to in all the world. But she refused to sit and share a meal with other men.

No one else reacted strangely to Leng Yingxue’s departure. After all, she had been famous for a long time, and everyone present knew of her cold and proud personality.

Long Jingyao showed none of the airs of a Crown Prince. He was like a completely different person from the last time Chu Fan had seen him. Back then, he had been the high and mighty, mercurial Crown Prince; now, he was more like a friendly uncle from next door.

He reached out, tore off a piece of the venison leg, and began to rip and chew at the meat.

Lao Yisheng took out his large wine gourd, produced several ceramic bowls, and poured a bowl for everyone.

"Young Friend Chu, we haven’t seen each other in, what, three and a half years?"

"Divine Doctor Lao, I was unaware of your identity at the time. Please forgive my poor reception."

"Eh, no offense is taken where none is meant. Besides, this old man is just a greedy glutton. What neglect is there to speak of?" Lao Yisheng said, waving his hand dismissively.

Chu Fan and Lao Yisheng exchanged a few pleasantries. Long Jingyao quickly devoured a leg of venison, while Master Yunchen leisurely sipped his Hundred Flowers Brew and ate the meat, occasionally praising the fine wine or the excellent cooking.

Xiaoya served them respectfully from the side, while Yan Ying remained silent.

After finishing the venison leg, Long Jingyao wiped his greasy hands directly on his robes. He then picked up his untouched bowl of wine, drained it in one gulp, and turned his gaze to Chu Fan.

"Weren’t you bringing your wife here for treatment? Where is she?"

Hearing Long Jingyao’s words, Yan Ying, who was standing to the side, couldn’t help but flinch, though she quickly concealed it.

"On the way, she had a fortunate encounter of her own, and her life is no longer in danger. Back then, I received your guidance, for which I still owe you a favor. I was heading to the Capital City to arrive before the sixth day of the sixth month, just as we agreed. I never expected to run into Your Highness here," Chu Fan explained, neither servile nor overbearing.

"And how did you meet Lady Leng?"

"It was a matter of chance. I helped Lady Leng with a small matter, and she, in turn, saved my life. So, we traveled here together."

Long Jingyao nodded and said no more. He pushed his wine bowl forward, and Lao Yisheng hurriedly refilled it.

With the three of them there, although the roasted venison was fragrant, the atmosphere was ultimately a bit constrained.

In less than half an hour, the three men got up to leave.

As the three reached the courtyard gate, Long Jingyao, who was half a step behind the others, turned and beckoned to Chu Fan.

Somewhat confused, Chu Fan followed him.

"Walk with me."

Chu Fan followed him to a perched rock on the mountain peak. Long Jingyao stood at the cliff’s edge, gazing at the vast expanse of stars, and said nothing for a long time.

Chu Fan stood beside him. ’What on earth is he going to say?’

"Yan Ying’s surname isn’t actually Yan. She should be called Long Yanying. She is my daughter."

Long Jingyao’s words didn’t elicit much of a reaction from Chu Fan. He had long suspected that Yan Ying was from the Royal Family; he just hadn’t guessed she was the Crown Prince’s daughter.

"You’re not surprised at all?"

Chu Fan shook his head. "Back in the Eastern Domain, I knew her status was unusual. After coming here, I guessed she must be connected to the Royal Family. I just never imagined she was a Princess of the Royal Family."

"I imagine you already know that Yan Ying’s life is nearing its end?" Long Jingyao said faintly, his gaze still fixed on the starry sky, his head not turning back.

He spoke as if the person in question wasn’t his daughter, but a complete stranger.

Chu Fan nodded.

"If the Inner Core of that Spirit Fox by your side could save her, would you be willing to trade the White Fox’s life for Yan Ying’s?"

Chu Fan’s heart jolted, but he quickly recovered and said with a smile, "Your Highness, you don’t have to test me. Her Highness the Princess suffers from a congenital Profound Yin Body. The White Fox’s Inner Core cannot save her."

"But the White Fox’s blood can save my son. You’ve heard about this, haven’t you?" Long Jingyao’s tone was still indifferent, but the aura around him suddenly intensified.

Chu Fan felt an immense pressure bearing down on him.

"Your Highness, the White Fox is like family to me. How could I sacrifice it to curry favor with the powerful? Let alone saving the Imperial Grandson, even if it were to save you, Your Highness the Crown Prince, I would not agree," Chu Fan said, still neither servile nor overbearing, as he withstood the oppressive aura.

Long Jingyao suddenly spun around, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes. He said coldly, "Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you?"

Chu Fan shook his head. "Your Highness, you don’t need to threaten me. In this world, there are things a person must do and things they must not do. It’s not that I’m not afraid of death, but I can’t sacrifice those close to me just to save my own skin. If I did that, never mind whether my own conscience would condemn me, but would I even have any friends left in the future?"

"Hahaha!" Long Jingyao suddenly burst out laughing. He reached out and clapped Chu Fan hard on the shoulder.

Chu Fan felt as if his shoulder had been shattered by the force.

"I was not mistaken about you."

Chu Fan looked at him, puzzled.

"Have you heard of the Hua Xu Secret Realm?" Long Jingyao asked.

"I have."

"Whether it’s Yan Ying or Yinwen, both of them suffer from congenital illnesses. The rumor that the White Fox’s blood can be used as a medicinal catalyst to save the Imperial Grandson is just a malicious lie someone spread. If the White Fox’s blood could truly cure my son, would I be here discussing it with you?"

What Long Jingyao said was true. If the White Fox’s blood could really save the Imperial Grandson, with the power Long Jingyao wielded, the fox would have been captured and brought here long ago. Who could possibly resist him?

"Then what does Your Highness mean?"

"You met Yan Ying at the Mang Divine Hall over three years ago, so I have had you thoroughly investigated. I know everything: your deeds in the Eastern Domain, how you and your wife instigated conflict between the Red Blood Mansion and the Six Sects and Eight Gates, and how you supported that Empress named Jin Chuhong to found a nation and unify the Eastern Domain. Even those eight subordinates of yours were once wanted criminals in our Hua Xu Empire, weren’t they? You truly have some skill, to turn those eight into mainstays and command the situation in the Eastern Domain."

Hearing this, Chu Fan felt a chill run down his spine. ’The Crown Prince was able to investigate so much about me in the Eastern Domain?’

’How did his intelligence network evade Ji Bufan’s eyes?’

"In that time, you disappeared for two and a half years. If I’m not mistaken, you must have entered a Secret Realm, right? And in that Secret Realm, you even ran into a few spoiled brats from Hua Xu’s Duke and Marquis Families. It seems those few all died in there."

Chu Fan was startled once again, and his expression changed slightly.

However, Chu Fan didn’t notice that Long Jingyao’s words made no mention of Prince Fuling, Long Haixin.

"In this world, besides myself, Master Yunchen, and Yan Ying’s personal maid, you are the only one who knows she is a woman. Oh, I suppose Lady Leng, who has already stepped into the Saint Realm, must also know by now."

Chu Fan listened to him without a word, waiting for what he would say next.

"She is the apple of my eye. I care for her even more than I do my son. When a man appears by her side, how could I not investigate him thoroughly?"

Even now, Chu Fan still didn’t understand what Long Jingyao was trying to say.