When Yang Hao hurried back to the imperial palace, his mood was still not very good. However, he noticed that everyone in the court, including the emperor and the crown prince, seemed to be in a bad mood too.
Especially when Yang Hao entered the palace, several of the chief ministers glared at him like enemies.
“Is it really that serious?” Yang Hao muttered to himself. “Just because I’m not interested in your daughters, is it really necessary to treat me like an enemy?”
However, it was obvious that these high-ranking officials were not concerned about what had happened at the ball the previous night. Their real focus was the man kneeling at the foot of the golden steps.
A man covered in blood, yet holding his head high. His name was Qing Li. He was the leader of the Dragon’s Head Corps, one of the eight elite sword groups under the Qianlong Pavilion. According to Qianlong himself, he was the commander of the Longyou Legion.
Qing Li stared intently at Yang Hao. His eagle-like eyes pierced through the air, as if trying to tear a piece of flesh from Yang Hao himself. As Yang Hao walked a few steps into the palace, Qing Li’s gaze followed him unwaveringly, like a trapped beast ready to pounce and tear him apart.
Yang Hao remained calm and composed. He always held deep respect for warriors who returned from bloody battles.
“Lord Yang Hao, this is Commander Qing Li, the leader of the Longyou Legion. He has brought us news regarding the Qianlong Pavilion,” said the aged voice of Emperor Yinglie. The old emperor always appeared frail and decrepit in front of outsiders, but only Yang Hao and Qin Feng knew how much astonishing energy still lay hidden within him.
“You’re Yang Hao!” Qing Li said bluntly. “The one they call ‘the one.'”
Yang Hao nodded. He had recently heard about the Qianlong Pavilion from the crown prince, but this was his first encounter with someone connected to it. Unlike ordinary sword group leaders, Qing Li carried the aura of a warrior who had returned from countless blood-soaked battles, his unyielding determination evident in his eyes.
However, Yang Hao didn’t know that the Longyou Legion was merely an outer force of the Qianlong Pavilion—commanders like Qing Li had no access to the true core of Qianlong.
Without even acknowledging Yang Hao’s presence, Qing Li raised his head and addressed Emperor Yinglie, “Your Majesty, the elders’ condition is to hand over this man. In exchange for his life, the entire Qianlong Pavilion will be spared.”
Although everyone had already heard of this negotiation condition, hearing it stated so directly still caused a ripple of unrest. The murmurs among the ministers reflected a variety of opinions and thoughts.
The chief ministers seemed already aware of the Qianlong Pavilion’s existence and understood the severity of the situation, so they appeared to agree with the elders’ condition. On the other hand, many military officers were strongly opposed, believing that exchanging an imperial lord for some “broken pavilion” was a disgrace to the imperial family.
But the majority of the ministers were paralyzed by their long-standing fear of the elders.
They strongly advocated fulfilling all the elders’ demands.
Emperor Yinglie and Yang Hao both calmly observed the ministers’ reactions, while Qin Feng kept his head bowed, as if it had nothing to do with him.
“Cough, cough,” Emperor Yinglie coughed a few times, the sound of his lungs tearing making the palace gradually fall silent. The weary emperor slowly raised his hand and pointed at the crown prince, “You explain the Qianlong Pavilion situation again.”
“The Qianlong Pavilion is a force cultivated by the Emperor outside the court. It includes the survivors of the 36 royal branches. In short, it is the last military force of the royal family,” the crown prince explained in terms that the ministers could easily understand. “Now the Qianlong Pavilion has grown very powerful—so powerful that even the elders must deploy their entire army to subdue it. As long as the Qianlong Pavilion exists, the royal family cannot be overthrown by the elders. But if the Qianlong Pavilion is destroyed, the royal family, and even the entire empire, will be in imminent danger.”
“Hmph!”
“His Majesty is wise!”
“Indeed, His Majesty’s foresight is unparalleled!”
Most of the ministers were hearing about the Qianlong Pavilion for the first time. Since the crown prince intentionally omitted its origins, they naturally attributed all the credit to Emperor Yinglie. Upon learning that the Qianlong Pavilion possessed the power to rival the elders, their previous discussions were completely overturned.
In fact, the situation was quite simple. The crown prince briefly explained again: the Qianlong Pavilion was an external force of the royal family. If merged with the royal family’s current power, it could stand equal to the elders. Hence, the elders had mobilized their full force to surround the Qianlong Pavilion, declaring that the emperor could only choose between the Pavilion and Yang Hao.
In other words, by handing over Yang Hao, the elders would spare the Qianlong Pavilion. Implicitly, they would also spare the royal family and all the ministers in the palace.
Did the choice really need further discussion?
The crown prince cast a worried glance at Yang Hao.
Sure enough, the ministers began to attack. The Minister of Internal Affairs, driven by old grudges from the Judgment Day incident, took the lead, “Your Majesty, under such circumstances, we must endure temporary humiliation for long-term peace. We must not act rashly and provoke the elders.”
“Exactly.”
“Well said.”
“A wise and prudent strategy!”
A group of old men with white beards eagerly echoed his words.
“How do you suggest we proceed?” Emperor Yinglie asked, panting heavily.
The Minister of Internal Affairs exchanged glances with several cunning old foxes, then finally gritted his teeth and blurted out, “At this critical moment, only Lord Yang Hao can make the ultimate sacrifice for the country. We believe that the Lord will understand and have no objections.”
The Minister spoke quickly, his head bowed low, completely avoiding Yang Hao’s gaze.
In fact, Yang Hao was feeling quite cheerful. Every time he stood in this grand palace, he felt increasingly amused, because he found the performance of these imperial officials absolutely fascinating—more dramatic than any TV series by a millionfold.
“Do you really want me to sacrifice a lord for nothing?” Emperor Yinglie sighed.
“Your Majesty, we must weigh the pros and cons. If we can only choose between the Qianlong Pavilion and Lord Yang Hao, I can only choose the Qianlong Pavilion—it is the very foundation of the royal family,” the Minister of Internal Affairs said sorrowfully, as if Yang Hao’s death would haunt him for life.
“Um…,” Emperor Yinglie nodded.
Seeing the emperor’s apparent shift in attitude, the ministers seized the moment to reinforce their opinions.
“Although Lord Yang Hao is patriotic, we cannot provoke the elders. I support the Minister of Internal Affairs.”
“If patriotism means anything, he should sacrifice himself for the country. I also support the Minister of Internal Affairs.”
“I support.”
“I support as well.”
In an instant, all the high-ranking officials of the empire began to voice their agreement, creating an oppressive atmosphere of unanimous support. Only Qing Li, covered in blood, remained silent.
Yang Hao sneered. These ministers were indeed like grass bending in the wind—relying on them to resist the elders was like asking a tiger for its skin. It was pitiful that Emperor Yinglie, despite his lifelong valor, had ended up with such poor judgment in choosing his subordinates.
The old emperor on the throne let out a long sigh.
Seeing everyone supporting him, the Minister of Internal Affairs turned around boldly and rushed toward Yang Hao, pointing his finger at him and shouting, “See that? Everyone wants you to be loyal. Why haven’t you volunteered for execution yet?”
Yang Hao glared at him.
The Minister of Internal Affairs shivered. He suddenly remembered that it was no longer Judgment Day. Yang Hao had not only regained his powers but had also reached the peak of the Saint Domain, having even wounded a Senior Elder. That white cloak was a harbinger of death.
The Minister of Internal Affairs quickly stepped back, knelt on the ground in despair, and cried out, “Your Majesty, please make the final decision!”
“Your Majesty, please make the final decision!” The entire room of ministers knelt down.
Qin Feng suddenly looked up, his gaze meeting Yang Hao’s. A strange smile appeared on his face.
“Read the imperial decree,” Emperor Yinglie said lazily, waving his hand toward the crown prince.
The crown prince unfolded a pre-written imperial decree and read aloud, “Lord Yang Hao of the Divine Prophecy Autonomous Territory, ennobled as Viscount Yang Hao, has been mutually affectionate with Princess Xianlan and was previously betrothed to her. He is hereby ordered to marry the princess within one month. Viscount Yang Hao shall be promoted to Duke, and the region from the 45th spiral arm of the Milky Way to the Divine Prophecy Autonomous Territory shall be established as the Western Territory. Duke Yang Hao shall be appointed as the Grand Lord, overseeing all political affairs of the Western Universe.”
“Overseeing all political affairs of the Western Universe!”
This final line of the decree left even Yang Hao stunned. This was no ordinary imperial decree—it was an unimaginably huge gift. With a single casual sentence, the old emperor had handed over the entire Eastern region to Yang Hao. Once this decree was enacted, Yang Hao would become the most powerful person in the universe, second only to the emperor and the elders.
A quarter of the universe—what kind of position was that?
Yang Hao was dumbfounded. The ministers were even more shocked, the Minister of Internal Affairs kneeling on the ground, trembling in disbelief, as if he couldn’t trust his own ears. He strongly suspected that he had somehow crossed into an entirely new, unknown dimension.
“Yang Hao,” Emperor Yinglie fixed his gaze on him, “I believe in you. Don’t disappoint me.”
Yang Hao didn’t know how to respond. This kind of trust far exceeded his expectations. He couldn’t tell whether the emperor’s decision was for Princess Xianlan’s sake or to oppose the elders.
But without a doubt, this imperial decree had pushed him into an even more adversarial position with the elders. The elders had demanded Yang Hao’s execution, but the emperor had instead promoted him and was even marrying off his daughter to him.
This was a provocation—an utterly blatant provocation.
It was easy to imagine the elders’ reaction to this decree. The ministers could already picture the elders annihilating the Qianlong Pavilion and returning in triumph.
But Emperor Yinglie closed his eyes and remained silent, showing no response to the ministers’ reactions, demonstrating his firm belief.
After a moment of dizziness, the Chief Ministers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dared not speak further. They had no loyalty to the emperor or love for the country—only their own power and position mattered. Therefore, they absolutely dared not defy Emperor Yinglie’s command.
Amid the uproar, only the Chief Minister of the highest-ranking Privy Council voiced opposition, “Your Majesty, this matter is inappropriate.”
“What’s inappropriate?”
“The elders are using the Qianlong Pavilion as leverage to demand we hand over Yang Hao. This is a demand made under duress. If we refuse, the consequences will be catastrophic. Under such circumstances, even if Your Majesty does not wish to compromise, we must not provoke the elders, or the royal family will be in grave danger!” The Chief Privy Council Minister steadied himself. “The princess’s wedding is not urgent. Moreover, the Western Territory covers a vast area. Bestowing such immense power on Yang Hao is truly inappropriate.”
Emperor Yinglie said calmly, “Is it inappropriate for my future son-in-law to possess a quarter of the universe?” As he asked this, Emperor Yinglie turned to look at the crown prince.
The crown prince quickly replied, “There is nothing inappropriate. Young Yang Hao is a prodigy who single-handedly quelled the rebellion in the West, resolved the Dragon-Imprisoning Formation crisis in the imperial city, and after marrying the princess, should be capable of governing the Western Territory.”
“But the elders will be furious, Your Majesty. This outcome may bring disaster to the royal family,” the Privy Council Minister shook his white-haired head sorrowfully. “I believe we should immediately hand Yang Hao over. Sacrificing a small person to avert a war is the best strategy.”
“There’s one question,” Yang Hao, who had been watching the spectacle, suddenly spoke up.
“Hmph?” The Chief Privy Council Minister merely shifted his head slightly, not even looking at Yang Hao.
Yang Hao smiled, “Do you really have the ability to hand me over?”
Qin Feng’s eyes flashed with sharp light as he exchanged a glance with Yang Hao, then lowered his gaze again.
The ministers erupted in uproar, each loudly condemning Yang Hao for treason, as if his refusal to sacrifice himself voluntarily was the greatest of evils. However, although they talked, none of them forgot Yang Hao’s current strength. Even a Senior Elder had been driven away by Yang Hao, clearly indicating that his power was no less than that of a Senior. Moreover, behind him stood the Dan Ding Sword Sect. It was even rumored that Elder Hede, the spiritual leader of the rebels, had already arrived in the capital. With such a group of experts supporting Yang Hao, was he someone who could be easily touched?
The Minister of Internal Affairs cautiously took a few steps back. Under Yang Hao’s piercing gaze, he suddenly felt an overwhelming chill and deeply regretted his earlier words demanding Yang Hao’s surrender. In this era, a Saint Domain expert could easily take someone’s head from an army of thousands—let alone a peak Saint Domain expert.
The Chief Privy Council Minister’s mouth trembled a few times, his aged face wrinkled like a ball of paper, but in the end, he dared not confront Yang Hao again. Although the Privy Council commanded the empire’s fleets, Yang Hao was famous for his personal martial prowess. With a wave of his hand, he could completely erase the entire Privy Council family from the capital.
After all their talk, at this moment, when Yang Hao casually posed the question, the ministers finally realized that Yang Hao had become a figure as immovable as a mountain. They had originally thought Yang Hao was just a young viscount newly arrived in the capital, someone whose life and death were entirely in their hands.
But in just these few months, Yang Hao had undergone a transformation. After the trials of Judgment Day, his strength had surpassed all expectations.
Demanding Yang Hao’s death was equivalent to demanding a Senior Elder’s death—it was simply unthinkable.
Emperor Yinglie lightly patted the armrest of his throne, silencing the uproar, “Enough!
“Yang Hao is my future son-in-law. Do you want Princess Xianlan to become a widow? This matter is non-negotiable. Anyone who opposes it will be punished immediately.”
This time, the ministers were silenced. Emperor Yinglie’s stance was crystal clear. When he brought up his daughter’s happiness, who could possibly say more? Unless they felt their heads were too heavy for their necks. Everyone knew that Emperor Yinglie was ruthless when it came to execution.
As the court debate seemed to be wrapping up, Yang Hao still felt somewhat unsatisfied. However, the ministers looked like defeated roosters, hanging their heads and sighing deeply.
“Dismissed,” the Emperor Yinglie nodded in satisfaction as no one spoke further.
“I object!” A sudden, unfamiliar voice cried out.
Everyone in the palace, including Yang Hao, was greatly surprised.
Who dared to provoke the emperor at such a moment?
It turned out to be someone who had already resigned himself to death. Qi Li, the leader of the Dragon Guardian Legion, who had been kneeling on the ground, suddenly jumped up, yelling fiercely, “I object! How can we abandon the Qianlong Pavilion, which has stood for five thousand years, for just one person?”
“Oh?” Yang Hao wasn’t angry. Tilting his head to look at Qi Li, he found this fellow quite interesting.
“Qi Li, didn’t you hear the Emperor’s order to drop the matter?” the Crown Prince rebuked sharply, thinking these Qianlong Pavilion people were being unreasonable.
Qi Li had long since disregarded life and death. He laughed bitterly and said, “The Qianlong Pavilion was never the Emperor’s minister, so why should we be governed by the royal family? We’ve supported the royal family for so many years, and now you just say ‘drop it,’ as if you could abandon us all?”
Emperor Yinglie’s face darkened.
Feng Feng slowly descended the golden steps toward Qi Li. Everyone could see that Feng Feng was preparing to seize this person who had dared to defy the Emperor.
“The Senate dispatched three hundred senators and the Eight Executives to launch a full-scale attack on the Qianlong Pavilion system. Our Eight Dragon Guardian Legions vowed to resist to the death. Even after three lines of defense were broken, not a single person surrendered or gave up. More than half of our brothers died there,” Qi Li still held his head high and shouted, “Thousands of our brothers, the five-thousand-year legacy of Qianlong Pavilion—how can it not be worth as much as Yang Hao? Was our brothers’ blood shed in vain? Are the lives of Qianlong people worth nothing? Jaran! Do you remember what you said when you begged Qianlong Pavilion for help? Now you say otherwise! Don’t forget, the new leader of the Qianlong Pavilion has not yet been decided!”
Jaran was the Emperor’s real name. To shout it out like this in court was unforgivable. Feng Feng took his hands out from his sleeves, and black light shimmered in his palm.
“What if you kill me? I’m already a dead man. If I don’t die here today, I’ll die beside my brothers tomorrow. Qianlong Pavilion has survived for five thousand years, and even if it is destroyed today, its spirit will live on forever. From now on, you will be the eternal enemy of Qianlong, a treacherous enemy! When the new leader takes over, even if you die a hundred times, it won’t be enough!”
Feng Feng turned back, looked at Emperor Yinglie, and sighed heavily. His meaning was clear: when a man no longer fears death, what use is there in threatening him with it?
Emperor Yinglie slammed the throne furiously and stood up, storming off toward the inner palace, roaring all the way, “No more discussion! No more discussion!!”
Thus, the court assembly ended.
The ministers left, murmuring among themselves, each casting fearful and anxious glances at Yang Hao. As for Qi Li, his departure was filled with a sense of tragedy.
As he swayed past Yang Hao, Yang Hao sensed the man’s resolve to die. Yang Hao now finally had some understanding of what kind of organization Qianlong Pavilion was.
The more he understood, the more he felt a sense of responsibility toward Qianlong Pavilion. Regardless of why Emperor Yinglie had abandoned Qianlong Pavilion, Yang Hao was somehow involved. He shouldn’t allow a five-thousand-year-old organization that had never been destroyed to simply vanish.
After everyone had left, the Crown Prince silently approached, patted Yang Hao’s shoulder, and said, “You’ve seen what happened today. Father has paid a great price for you. The matter between you and Xianlan has already been decided. Don’t let any more trouble arise. As for what happened last night, let it go. Just forget about Lanling.”
Yang Hao was silent for a moment before saying, “Do I look like someone who lets others manipulate me?”
“But…” the Crown Prince was about to say something serious.
But Yang Hao had already had enough. He walked directly out of the grand palace. The ten-thousand-step staircase outside was like the complex troubles Yang Hao now faced—it was waiting for him to climb.
In the days following the court assembly, Yang Hao stayed at the Dan Ding Sect’s estate, pondering the situation.
Emperor Yinglie had indeed thought deeply. In this game where the Senate still held the upper hand, the only way to avoid being destroyed was to form alliances.
If the Qianlong Pavilion had not been surrounded, Emperor Yinglie could have easily secured an unshakable position by allying with them. The key problem was that Qianlong Pavilion was already in a desperate situation, completely surrounded by the Senate, essentially facing certain death.
The Senate’s Executives demanded Yang Hao’s surrender merely to expand their victory. It was easy to imagine that even if Yang Hao died, the Senate would never let go of Qianlong Pavilion, which was already within their grasp. In the end, the biggest loser would be Emperor Yinglie, with all his potential allies eliminated, leaving him with no choice but to await his own destruction.
Therefore, Emperor Yinglie dared to defy the world by bestowing upon Yang Hao the title of Western Territory Lord and urging him to marry immediately. In doing so, Yang Hao would legally and morally become part of the royal family, binding his strength to the royal house.
However, Yang Hao now faced significant troubles. First, the blame for Qianlong Pavilion’s destruction was all placed on him, making him feel deeply uneasy. In his heart, he liked the Qianlong Pavilion organization, especially since Hunyuanzi and Hede had both received favors from them.
On the other hand, Yang Hao had no intention of marrying Xianlan, which was particularly important to him because no one in this world could force him to do anything.
If Yang Hao directly announced the cancellation of the engagement, Emperor Yinglie’s entire strategy would collapse. Moreover, Yang Hao and the Dan Ding Sect would certainly be isolated by the anti-Senate forces. Once the Senate had devoured Qianlong Pavilion, they would turn around and eliminate Yang Hao first, and the royal family would probably not send even a single soldier to support him.
In short, this matter had formed an inextricable knot, causing Yang Hao immense headache.
Just as Yang Hao was deeply troubled, Princess Xianlan, who had caused him so much trouble, actually condescended to visit him personally at the Dan Ding Sect.
What was her reason?
To invite Yang Hao to watch the circus.
This was truly unexpected. Looking at the princess, dressed youthfully and nothing like the heavily made-up woman from the ball a few days ago, Yang Hao didn’t know what to say.
Today, Princess Xianlan was dressed casually. She wore a low-cut T-shirt, short shorts revealing her long legs, and flat shoes with open toes. She looked nothing like a princess and more like a girl next door.
However, Yang Hao still kept his distance from Xianlan’s unpredictable personality, preferring to avoid her if possible.
“I’m not interested in the circus. Find someone else.”
“Are you not interested in the circus, or are you not interested in me?” Xianlan smiled mischievously and hooked her arm through Yang Hao’s.
Yang Hao hadn’t forgotten how much embarrassment she had caused him at the ball. If Lanling hadn’t stepped in to save him, he would have been utterly humiliated. He coldly shook off Xianlan’s arm, saying, “I’m not interested in the circus, and I’m even less interested in you.”
Xianlan’s face turned cold. She hadn’t expected that even after lowering herself, Yang Hao would still refuse her, making her teeth itch with anger: “You’re really someone who doesn’t know how to take advantage of an opportunity. If it weren’t for the engagement, would I even bother with you?”
“Please, who wants to be engaged to you?” Yang Hao replied indifferently.
Xianlan turned to leave but then stopped and turned back, saying, “I know you like Lanling. But she promised me she wouldn’t be with you.”
Yang Hao’s anger flared up: “Don’t push me to hit a woman.”
“Hmph!” Xianlan grinned mockingly, “Hitting your fiancée for another woman—this is just like something you’d do.”
“You…” Yang Hao realized he had no way to deal with this woman, “Do whatever you want. I’m in a bad mood.”
“I know you’re in a bad mood,” Xianlan came closer again, her small but shapely chest pressing against Yang Hao’s arm, “That’s why I’m here to accompany you to the circus. The Star Circus is the most famous in the universe, always touring around. It’s rare for them to come back. We can’t miss this opportunity.”
“Wait,” Yang Hao suddenly remembered something, “Did you say… the Star Circus? Is the leader surnamed Zhou?”
“Yes,” Xianlan’s expression changed slightly, “Do you know Zhou Chuanqian?”
Yang Hao took a deep breath. That big wooden boat on the beach that day had indeed belonged to the Star Circus. Zhou Chuanqian, the old man, and that annoying pretty boy, Zhou Yao, were all members of this group.
Yang Hao had already warned them that day, but the Star Circus still stayed in the capital, meaning they were practically begging for someone to send them off. Thinking of how Zhou Yao had held Lanling’s hand, Yang Hao felt a surge of murderous intent.
“Are you afraid of the Star Circus or afraid of me?” Xianlan kept chattering, “Are you scared to go?”
“Let’s go!” Yang Hao shook off Xianlan again, “Why not? Let’s leave right now.”
When it came to the Star Circus, it was extremely famous in the capital. Yang Hao, being an outsider, naturally didn’t know much about it. But the nobles of the capital, and even the officials and aristocrats throughout the Milky Way, all moved for the Star Circus.
The Star Circus claimed to be the best circus in the universe. They toured all year round, receiving warm welcomes wherever they went, especially for their animal performances and the grand finale—the Star Sword Formation, which was considered unparalleled.
This time, returning to the capital after a year’s absence, the entire capital celebrated the circus’s return like a festival.
It was only when Yang Hao saw the bustling scene outside the circus camp that he realized the circus’s reputation was well-deserved. Outside the massive tent, which was as tall as a six-story building, a thriving commercial district had already formed. Many buildings had been erected overnight, and many rare and even smuggled treasures were displayed on counters.
This place was called Star City because the entire commercial district moved along with the Star Circus. Wherever the circus went, the city followed. As they traveled through the universe, treasures and curiosities from various star systems and different races were collected and sold together.
Therefore, Star City was a place of all things, where items that were previously unobtainable could be found, even surpassing the major commercial centers controlled by traders.
The circus hadn’t started yet, but Princess Xianlan stubbornly dragged Yang Hao into Star City to go shopping. The shopping instinct of women was the same, whether they were princesses or ordinary people.
“Buy me a gift!” Xianlan, seeing a store claiming to be the most expensive gift shop in history, began making demands.
Yang Hao didn’t respond and followed Xianlan inside.
Although the store claimed to be grand, its decoration was plain and unremarkable, and the shop itself was very small, barely enough space for five or six people to turn around. There was only one eccentrically dressed shopkeeper sitting inside, obviously with poor business, as he was dozing off.
“Hey!” Xianlan rudely woke up the shopkeeper.
“Ah, customers have arrived,” the shopkeeper raised his head and saw Yang Hao and Xianlan standing in front of him. This pair of handsome and beautiful people might not have been dressed luxuriously, but their demeanor was clearly extraordinary. The shopkeeper quickly plastered a smile on his face, “What do you two want? This small shop has the most valuable crafts in the universe, the perfect gift for your loved one.”
“Did you hear that? Buy me the best gift,” Xianlan whispered fiercely into Yang Hao’s ear.
“Is it expensive?” Yang Hao looked around curiously. On the counter was a rough black piece of wood carved with strange patterns. It looked quite ordinary, but when touched, one could feel a restless power within.
“This totem is worth two hundred million imperial credits,” the shopkeeper said calmly.
Even Xianlan, who was used to spending money, changed her expression.
Two hundred million imperial credits could buy several battleships. Such a large sum of money was not something even the royal family could casually spend. If it were to buy an estate on Earth, that might be understandable, but for such a piece of rotten wood to cost two hundred million imperial credits, it was simply outrageous.
The shopkeeper raised one finger and explained mysteriously, “This is no ordinary piece of wood. It’s a totem from a planet in the northern outer regions that worships black magic. This totem contains the soul of the planet’s guardian deity. It’s not found on Earth, and even in the entire universe, there is only one such piece. Is two hundred million imperial credits expensive?”
Not expensive, definitely not expensive.
But it seemed to have no practical use.
As soon as Xianlan heard that it contained a ghost soul, she immediately lost interest. For a woman, even if it were given for free, she wouldn’t want it.
The shopkeeper was a good businessman. Seeing Xianlan’s expression, he immediately took out several gemstones of precious quality from the cabinet. These gemstones were collected from many planets across the universe and were completely absent in the Milky Way. Each one could fetch a considerable price on the black market.
Unfortunately, Xianlan was no ordinary person. Having been a princess for over twenty years, she had seen all kinds of gemstones. Even as a child, when she picked up stones to throw at people, they were treasures presented as tributes.
As the shopkeeper displayed the gemstones, he failed to arouse Xianlan’s interest, and his face showed signs of embarrassment. Yang Hao coughed once and helped the old man out, “Do you have something that women will definitely like? I don’t care about the price.”
The boss stared at Yang Hao for a moment, as if trying to determine whether he was truly wealthy. These merchants had long been doing business with the Starry Sky Circus, so they didn’t know that Yang Hao was one of the ten senior directors.
After a while, the boss probably thought that Xian Lan had disregarded so many treasures, so these two individuals must be either extremely rich or of high status. Resolving himself, he fetched from behind a delicate little box no bigger than a palm, and carefully pinched something from inside the box, displaying it to Yang Hao. “Young man, what about this? Thirty million imperial coins.”
Yang Hao widened his eyes, and Xian Lan also strained to look, but after a long while, the two realized there was absolutely nothing in the boss’s hand—it was completely empty.
“Uh… you’re selling a pinch of air for thirty million?” Yang Hao was both annoyed and amused. Others had called him a sharp businessman, but this old man was far worse than anyone from the Dan Ding Group.
“Air?” The old man’s face lit up as if his dignity had been insulted, “Young man, blow a breath.”
Yang Hao didn’t move, afraid that a single puff might blow the thin old man away. Instead, Xian Lan lowered his pride and blew hard from his mouth.
Ding… ding… ding…
Amazingly, between the old man’s seemingly empty fingers, a melodious bell sound rang out. This sound was crisp and clear, and the echo lasted for several minutes without stopping.
This was definitely not a musical performance, nor was it any kind of tune, but merely a pure tone that could enchant listeners to the point of intoxication. This bell sound kept lingering in one’s ears, and even after the sound ceased, the sensation of its haunting resonance remained.
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