Chapter 474: Be as Respectful to Him as You Are to Me, the Four Great Dukes, the Rumors Are Wrong

Chapter 474: Chapter 160: Be as Respectful to Him as You Are to Me, the Four Great Dukes, the Rumors Are Wrong

“Gou Ya, not working hard? Slacking off, are you? Haven’t you had enough of the whip yet?”

An overseer holding a long whip watched coldly from the side, a sneer on his face.

A cold glint flashed in the eyes of the young man named Gou Ya, but then he seemed to recall something and forced himself to endure it. Lowering his head, he shouldered the cargo and walked toward the ship.

‘In the past, who would have dared to yell at me like this? Forget a lowly overseer—even the owners of these cargo ships would have had to treat me with the utmost respect.’

‘It’s all that bitch’s fault…’

‘I’ll make her pay for everything soon enough.’

The young man’s eyes were filled with coldness and hatred. He bowed his head low, letting his long, disheveled hair conceal his face.

RUMBLE!

Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted not far from the pier. A magnificent carriage, pulled by three Dragon Steeds, arrived amidst clouds and mist.

Behind the carriage, the sky thundered as if an army of thousands was on the march. Squadrons of Knights clad in Heavy Armor rode upon Barbaric Beasts, escorting four imposing, middle-aged men. These men carried an air of nobility, wearing Jade Crowns and Python Dragon Robes.

Trailing behind each of the four men were many young men and women, all exuding considerable fluctuations of Magical Power and an innate air of nobility. Banners representing the Four Great Dukes billowed behind them, snapping sharply in the Void.

At the sight of this incredible scene, Black Horn Pier exploded into an uproar, and countless people were shaken to their core.

“Am I seeing things? Is that really the Four Great Dukes?”

“I haven’t seen them in many years. For such elusive figures to personally descend upon this place…”

“To have the four Dukes personally welcome him… just who is that young master in white?”

“I think I know… In the entire Great Xia, there can’t be anyone else…”

“Who is it? Stop speaking in riddles…”

“Within Great Xia today, it could only be him. Jiang Lan, the young master of the Prime Minister’s Mansion. Who else could cause such a stir?”

A clamor of shocked discussion swept through Black Horn Pier. All the cultivators and other beings stared, utterly stunned.

The spies from various powers and Dao Lineages had already confirmed Jiang Lan’s identity even as they were sending the news back to their respective factions.

‘Jiang Lan?’

‘I feel like I’ve heard that name before. The Jiang Family? Could it be the same Jiang Family that Master once mentioned, the one from the Great Xia Prime Minister’s Mansion…’

‘The ones responsible for my downfall? My sworn enemies?’

As he silently shouldered the cargo and walked toward the ship, the young man committed the name to memory, planning to find an opportunity to contact his master and inquire about it.

Aboard the docked War Flying Ship, Jiang Lan watched this scene with great interest.

‘It seems something unexpected has happened…’

‘Logically, the Four Great Dukes shouldn’t have learned my identity this quickly.’

“We four—Loyalty, Bravery, Fierce, and Righteous—greet you, My Lord.”

The Four Princes of Loyalty, Bravery, Fierce and Righteous stepped forward to welcome him respectfully. At that moment, messages from their local spies reached them, and they instantly understood Jiang Lan’s identity. They were inwardly shaken, but it also started to make sense.

“We were unaware that Your Highness, Feng Jun, had come in person. We were nearly negligent in our reception. We hope Your Highness will forgive us.”

Although the four of them didn’t pay much attention to the current situation in Great Xia, Immortal Ascension Island still had to engage in trade with the Celestial Central Province, so they naturally knew a few things about Great Xia.

Furthermore, the current trade route had been established under the leadership of the Prime Minister’s Mansion.

Even if they had never met Jiang Lan, the young master of the Prime Minister’s Mansion, in person, they had most certainly heard of him.

“There is no need for such ceremony, Four Dukes. My arrival was abrupt, and I gave no prior notice.”

“It is only natural that you were unaware,” Jiang Lan said with a faint smile.

The four Dukes had been worried that their late arrival would be seen as disrespectful and incur his displeasure. But upon hearing his words, they breathed a silent sigh of relief, though they were also a bit stunned.

‘After all, the Jiang Lan before them had a rather poor reputation in the rumors…’

‘To be so understanding, so easygoing and composed… it caught them completely off guard.’

“You must find this laughable, Your Highness Feng Jun. We live overseas, so our access to information is rather limited.”

“We have prepared a welcome banquet at our residence to wash away the dust of your journey. We hope Your Highness will honor us with your presence…”

The four Dukes quickly composed themselves, their expressions becoming naturally deferential. As they led the way, Prince Zhong went so far as to personally lift the carriage curtain for Jiang Lan.

“You are all too kind,” Jiang Lan said with a smile, and stepped inside.

The four Dukes breathed another small sigh of relief and instructed the clansmen behind them to receive Jiang Lan’s entourage of followers and subordinates.

‘They could tell that these young individuals possessed extraordinary cultivation and strength. Their backgrounds had to be remarkable; perhaps even the top prodigies of the three great Guardian Families couldn’t compare.’

‘Yet figures who could be called young Venerables were now following at Jiang Lan’s side.’

‘It seems the rumors were all wrong.’

They put aside the disdain they had held in their hearts.