Chapter 120: Chapter 118: Unyielding Pride Against the King

"Uh, what about my shop..." Qin Li said hesitantly.

Eunuch Li pursed his lips and said to the dozen or so soldiers of seemingly average strength he had brought with him, "You will stand guard here."

"Them..." Qin Li could tell at a glance that these dozen or so soldiers were only at the Yellow Level. He was genuinely worried about the safety of his shop. ’What if Leng Ping can’t find me and decides to take his anger out on these innocent women?’

"Hmph. Enough. Don’t you parade your petty concerns before me. As if I don’t know what you’re thinking?" Eunuch Li said, pursing his lips in contempt. "Do you have any idea who they are?"

Before Qin Li could answer, Eunuch Li pointed to one of the soldiers and demanded, "Tell this nobleman from the Great Qi Kingdom who you all are!"

"We are soldiers of the Third Battalion of the Imperial Guard!" The soldier, noticing Qin Li’s doubt, deliberately puffed out his chest and spoke louder. His voice was just loud enough for some nearby onlookers to hear, and they immediately let out a collective, low gasp.

Qin Li didn’t quite grasp the significance, but the murmurs of the onlookers soon reached his ears.

"Gods, they’re actually from the Three Great Battalions! What were they sent here for? To guard the door for this guy? I can’t believe it..."

"The Three Great Battalions are the Cyan Dragon Kingdom’s ace troops! During the war with Great Qi, they sent the Great Qi army fleeing in utter disarray. To think they’d be here today, guarding the door for some washed-up noble from Great Qi... It’s unbelievable!"

"Tch, you’re all behind the times. Great Qi, Great Chu, Silo, Qingqiu, and our Cyan Dragon Kingdom have formed the Five Nations Alliance. We’re as close as brothers, all one family."

"One family, my ass. It’s only because the New Qin Kingdom forced our hand..."

"Alright, keep your voice down! This is none of your business."

Qin Li instantly understood. ’So, these guards aren’t about strength, but status.’ Their mere presence here represented the Emperor’s will. At this stage, at least, no one would dare to openly challenge imperial authority.

"Well then, my thanks to you, brothers!" Qin Li cupped his fist toward the soldiers and chuckled. Then he turned and shouted back toward Duoduo, "These men were all sent by the Emperor himself to protect you! Tell the kitchen to make some extra dishes for lunch, and make sure there’s meat!"

The crowd of onlookers was collectively speechless. They stared at Qin Li with disdain, thinking, ’You think the Imperial Guard has never had meat before? What a country bumpkin from Great Qi, a total blockhead!’

Eunuch Li, also looking speechless, said to Qin Li, "Young Master Qin, if you please!"

Once inside the carriage, Qin Li discovered that while it looked quite ordinary from the outside, the interior was exceptionally refined. It was luxurious without being extravagant, stately and grand, yet comfortable.

In the carriage, Eunuch Li first lectured Qin Li on the extensive etiquette for an imperial audience. Although he despised Qin Li, he had no choice. This man had caught the Emperor’s eye. ’People like us know exactly what happened with the Daqing Gang. Right now, their leader, Leng Ping, must be hopping mad! But no matter how bold he is, would he dare to oppose the Emperor? Tonight, the Daqing Gang is destined to suffer a massive humiliation in front of every other gang in Cyan Dragon City!’

The carriage proceeded all the way into the imperial palace. When it stopped, Eunuch Li said softly, "Young Master Qin, don’t you worry. The Second Prince has already made arrangements for you." He finished with a long, meaningful look at Qin Li.

Qin Li froze. ’I never expected this Eunuch Li to be one of the Second Prince’s men.’ He gave a slight nod. ’Not that I had anything to fear in the first place. My power has already reached the Celestial Level. The Celestial Essence Continent is vast and boundless, with countless kingdoms large and small and Mysterious Lands everywhere. Is there any place I can’t survive?’

After Eunuch Li departed, another attendant came to guide Qin Li into the highest seat of power in the Cyan Dragon Kingdom: the Cyan Dragon Hall!

The hall lacked the luxurious atmosphere Qin Li had imagined; it seemed even less resplendent than the Shangguan Family’s banquet hall. Yet it exuded an air of solemn dignity, and walking within its walls, one couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe.

After all, the man sitting on the Dragon Throne at the highest point of the hall was the king of a nation, a true Emperor!

Even someone like Qin Li, witnessing such a scene for the first time, felt a flicker of nervousness, though he quickly adapted. Following behind a eunuch, he entered the great hall and discreetly moved to a corner.

Before him, a dense crowd of at least a hundred people stood in rows on either side. These were the true power brokers of the kingdom. In their eyes, Martial Artists were nothing more than tools to be used.

Although the Cyan Dragon Kingdom was founded on martial prowess, and the Celestial Essence Continent revered martial skill and respected strength above all else, there were very few High Tier Martial Artists among those who held real power here in the imperial court.

Qin Li’s arrival didn’t attract much attention. Only a few people standing at the back of the lines near the entrance sized him up with curiosity for a moment before looking away.

Zhao Yuanli was an Emperor who valued talent, so it wasn’t uncommon for people with special abilities to be granted an audience. After receiving a title and a reward, however, most would never get a second chance to stand in this hall again.

Thus, no one was surprised by Qin Li’s arrival.

At that moment, someone must have informed the Emperor of his presence. Zhao Yuanli paused the court’s proceedings and asked in a clear, resonant voice, "Has Qin Li arrived?"

At this, Qin Li had no choice but to step out from his corner. He gave the Emperor a slight bow. "Qin Li, a noble of the Great Qi Kingdom, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

"Insolence! How dare you not kneel before His Majesty!"

A cold, angry shout rang out from the front of the hall. Despite the distance, Qin Li’s sharp eyesight immediately identified the speaker: a clean-shaven civil official in his forties with a pale face and gloomy eyes. He was standing near the foot of the throne, staring coldly at Qin Li.

Qin Li narrowed his eyes at the man and smiled arrogantly. "As a noble of Great Qi, I am naturally not required to kneel when I meet an emperor!"

"A noble of Great Qi? Does that make you a noble here in the Cyan Dragon Kingdom as well? What a joke!" The pale, beardless official scoffed as if he had just heard the funniest thing in the world.

"My Lord Official," Qin Li began, "while I’m not sure why you’re so intent on targeting me—perhaps you’re just jealous of my handsome face, it doesn’t matter—there is one thing I don’t understand. I’d like to ask for your explanation. The Five Nations of Qingqiu—Great Qi, Great Chu, Cyan Dragon, Silo, and Qingqiu—have formed an alliance and are as close as brothers. The status of a noble is recognized as equal across all our kingdoms. How is it that when it comes to you... that’s suddenly denied? Does that mean... in your opinion, the Five Nations Alliance is invalid? Am I correct, my lord?"

"You—you’re spouting malicious slander!" The pale-faced official hadn’t expected Qin Li to be so silver-tongued. With just a few sentences, Qin Li had not only backed him into a corner but had also turned the tables. Such a matter could be considered trivial, but it could also be blown up into a major diplomatic incident between the two kingdoms.

Qin Li shrugged. "How is speaking to you in such a gentle tone ’malicious slander’? You may be older than me, and your beard may be thicker than mine, and your looks... uh, a bit inferior to mine, but you can’t just slander a noble from Great Qi like that, can you?"

The Great Qi accent was naturally dramatic, and Qin Li punctuated his words with theatrical gestures. As he finished, the court erupted in boisterous laughter. The pale-faced official, meanwhile, was flushed red with anger, pointing a trembling finger at Qin Li, utterly speechless.

A figure shifted to the side, and Qin Li saw a familiar face glaring at him in a fury, his eyes brimming with killing intent. It was none other than the Crown Prince, Zhao Xinghe.

"Enough!"

Zhao Yuanli’s cold shout cut through the hall. The previous scene had left him deeply disappointed. The speaker had been the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, a man known to be close to the Crown Prince. This attack must have been instigated by the Prince himself. After all, the Crown Prince controlled the Daqing Gang, and the Emperor’s actions had forced him to suffer a loss he couldn’t complain about, causing him to lose significant face among his followers. Zhao Yuanli snorted coldly to himself. ’I’m not dead yet! And you’re already so ambitious, building up your own forces. Do you really think I’m blind to it?’

Still, watching his own Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites being argued into silence by a young foreign noble also displeased Zhao Yuanli. A nation’s honor was at stake, after all. He couldn’t help but curse inwardly, ’What a complete embarrassment!’

"You are Qin Li, correct?" Zhao Yuanli’s voice became surprisingly gentle, causing the assembled civil and military officials to exchange puzzled glances. "You, come forward. Let Us have a look at you." Many of them had no idea who this Qin Li was and took the opportunity to whisper amongst themselves to learn more.

Under the curious gazes of the entire court, Qin Li walked forward with his head held high, stopping only about six or seven meters from the Emperor on his elevated throne.

Zhao Yuanli saw the young man sizing him up without a trace of fear and couldn’t help but smile. "A fine specimen indeed!" Then, his expression shifted. SMACK! He slammed his hand on the table before him. The whispering officials below trembled, startled into silence, their eyes fixed on the Emperor.

"We have heard," the Emperor began, "that in the short time you have been in the Imperial Capital, you have caused a great deal of trouble! You insulted one of Our generals, and then you slaughtered Our citizens. Qin Li, though you are a noble of Great Qi, you have committed crimes on the soil of the Cyan Dragon Kingdom, and We... can still punish you! What do you have to say for yourself?"

’The carrot and the stick, is it?’ Qin Li sneered inwardly. He looked up at the Emperor defiantly. "Your Majesty, if I may ask, from whom did you ’hear’ all this?"

"Audacious!"

This time, a man in his thirties dressed as a general leaped forward, pointing at Qin Li. "You dare question His Majesty? That is a crime of profound disrespect! Your Majesty, I request permission to apprehend him!"

Qin Li turned and gave the man a deceptively simple smile. "His Majesty has yet to speak, and you’re already jumping in. Are you trying to claim credit for yourself? Or are you trying to steal the Emperor’s spotlight?"

Everyone in the hall couldn’t help but gasp. ’This kid is fucking vicious,’ they thought. ’His ability to pin false accusations on people is truly first-rate.’

The general was struck speechless. He shot Qin Li a venomous glare and retreated back into the ranks.

Qin Li turned back to Emperor Zhao Yuanli, who was watching the spectacle with an amused smile. Qin Li spread his hands and said in a deeply pained voice, "Your Majesty, you really must reinforce discipline in your court! Your people... they are so unruly. Where does their behavior place you in their eyes?"