Chapter 307 120: The One He's Waiting For Is Her, The Magnanimous Young Master Jiang, Hao Xinren (Part 2)

The Desire Immortal Pavilion was naturally the most suitable place.

"An apology isn't necessary. If word got out, it would make it seem like I'm going too far."

"His Majesty Emperor Xia's Southern Hunting drill is imminent. If rumors spread that my Prime Minister's Mansion is bullying others, he'll likely be displeased when he hears it."

Jiang Lan leaned against the pavilion railing on the painted boat, a casual smile on his face.

"Don't worry, Young Master Jiang. We're just sparring and will know when to stop. We won't cause any trouble."

"Besides, this is an issue between us and that Zhang Yuan. It has nothing to do with the Prime Minister's Mansion."

The young Celestial Prides broke into smiles at his words and quickly chimed in with their agreement.

The Immortal Sects backing them still had to rely on the whims of the Prime Minister's Mansion.

They had come to the Imperial Capital for the Southern Hunting drill, sent by their Sects to serve as guards or in similar roles.

"This Zhang Yuan's strength is extraordinary. I suggest you all not be careless…" Jiang Lan said with a smile.

Aside from Chi Yunxiao, the strength of the men before him was quite average.

Not that he cared about any of that.

He had brought them to the Desire Immortal Pavilion partly to play the gracious host, and partly to set a trap, waiting for the right person to walk into it.

Running into Xiao Teng and Ye Ming here tonight had been a complete accident.

Jiang Lan hadn't paid those two any mind for several days.

But since their paths had crossed today, he might as well fleece them of some of their luck. Ye Ming wanted to lay low, so Jiang Lan would force him into the spotlight.

And now, the person Jiang Lan had been waiting for had finally arrived.

Knowing Emperor Xia as he did, he was certain she would eventually be unable to resist coming to the Desire Immortal Pavilion to gather intelligence herself.

She was the very person Jiang Lan was waiting for.

'So you know I'd be displeased…'

'But how is this any different from going too far?'

Not far away, Emperor Xia watched the spectacle with narrowed eyes. The conversation between Jiang Lan and the young Celestial Prides did not escape her ears.

She had heard the rumors of Jiang Lan preying on the weak, and while she had never witnessed it herself, today she was getting a taste of it.

Despite knowing that the laws in Great Xia were especially strict these days, he still deliberately picked a fight with the third son of Prince Zhenbei's Mansion and that disciple from Yijian Palace.

He even mentioned the laws of Great Xia in front of everyone. 'He truly has no respect for me whatsoever.'

"My Lord, should we notify the Immortal Suppression Bureau?"

Standing behind Emperor Xia, Spring Orchid, who was dressed as a guard, couldn't help but ask as she watched the fierce battle on the river ahead.

Emperor Xia waved her hand. "There's no need."

The Immortal Suppression Bureau had noticed the commotion here long ago. They couldn't intervene, however, given Jiang Lan's status and the fact that the two combatants were fighting under the pretext of a friendly spar.

'Since Jiang Lan said as much, he certainly doesn't want to blow this out of proportion. At most, he's just teaching that Yijian Palace disciple named Zhang Yuan a lesson.'

Emperor Xia had long since known about the events of the recent auction.

In fact, she herself had been somewhat interested in that Exotic Stone. After receiving the news, she had used a Secret Treasure of the Royal Family to attempt a divination, only to be overcome with a strange sensation.

It was as if the object within the Exotic Stone was also of great importance to her.

In her subsequent divinations, the feeling vanished, but the sense of wistful loss from that day still lingered in her heart.

To this day, she still had no idea what was actually inside that Exotic Stone.

'Since Jiang Lan was so determined to acquire that Exotic Stone, he must know something about its contents…'

'Perhaps I can use this as a pretext to sound him out.'

With a wave of her slender hand, Emperor Xia summoned a flash of clear light, from which the Jade Pendant Jiang Lan had left on the painted boat that day emerged.

Her fair fingertips gently caressed the 'Jiang' character carved upon it, her gaze gradually deepening.

She spared the ongoing battle a single glance before losing interest. In her eyes, the outcome was already decided.

'That Yijian Palace disciple is intentionally holding back. His techniques are impressive; his opponent is bound to lose.'

As the battle above the river grew more intense, their clashes erupted in bursts of radiant light and shockwaves of fire.

Huge volumes of river water evaporated, turning into a spreading mist that soon obscured the combatants' movements from view.

Having made such a bold claim in front of Jiang Lan, Sun Yi's expression soured as he found himself unable to defeat "Zhang Yuan."

He had intended to just teach the man a lesson, but now he was genuinely enraged.

Ye Ming, disguised as "Zhang Yuan," was naturally not revealing his true strength. He just wanted to get Xiao Teng out of a bind; it wasn't every day he met a potential ally, especially not the third son of Prince Zhenbei's Mansion. He was eager to get on good terms with him.

At the same time, he didn't want to attract too much attention or suspicion. The more strength he revealed, the more eyes would be on him.

Therefore, throughout his fight with Sun Yi, he did his best to make them appear evenly matched.

'In my opinion,' he thought, 'if he were smart, he'd realize my strength is far greater than his, and that I'm giving him a chance to back down gracefully.'

'Since you won't appreciate the gesture, don't blame me for what comes next.'

But Ye Ming never expected his opponent to get more and more worked up as they fought, his temper flaring uncontrollably.

His own expression turned cold, and he stopped holding back.

A dazzling light erupted from his palms. Behind him, a vast Star Realm seemed to materialize, its aura immense and powerful.

The stars within it twinkled, casting a brilliant glow. They transformed into one stream of light after another, which shot forward with the lift of his palm and engulfed Sun Yi.

BOOM!

The sheer force of the blast shook the area, stirring up waves dozens of feet high that nearly capsized the surrounding painted boats.