The Era of the Galactic Empire’s Heroes.
destined to be recorded in history, when this empire, the longest and most powerful in the history of intelligent life, reached its twilight years, the two factions holding the highest power finally clashed violently.
This conflict was like a premeditated explosion, accumulating from countless smaller pre-explosions over approximately five hundred years, eventually culminating in a cataclysmic detonation.
In the silent universe and vast world, every corner was profoundly shaken.
The Senate’s “Trapped Dragon” and “Strangling” schemes were shattered overnight, and the one who accomplished this feat was, surprisingly, just a single individual.
This individual, single-handedly, achieved what tens of thousands of palace guards and countless imperial soldiers could not.
His reputation had spread far and wide; his sword school, and even his iconic white cape, became the most popular trends in the empire.
Yet Yang Hao, the creator of all this, did not revel in it. He was even oblivious to the changes around him, naturally unaware that he had gradually become the center of this world.
After breaking through the Thirty-Six Ghost Barrier, Yang Hao rescued Lan Ling. He did not linger in the palace or request any rewards from the Hero Emperor; instead, he simply took Lan Ling and flew away.
It was as if he had risked his life and dared to confront the Elder Council’s chief just to save this woman.
Lan Ling had fallen into a deep sleep. Months of relentless battles had drained all her strength. Her face had grown increasingly gaunt, her long hair clinging to her cheeks, making her look pale, but the deep-seated beauty was now unmistakably evident.
Only when lying in Yang Hao’s arms did Lan Ling not seem like a warrior but transformed into a true woman. She curled up like a kitten, drool dripping from the corner of her mouth, her muscles trembling from extreme fatigue.
Yang Hao held Lan Ling tightly in their small house belonging to the Dan Ding Sword School. That night was long and brief. Yang Hao seemed to have just fallen asleep, inhaling Lan Ling’s hair fragrance, only to awaken again, following the faint aroma.
Between that sleep and awakening, twenty hours had passed.
Almost as the sun was about to set, Yang Hao awoke with a smile from his dream, but the woman in his arms was gone. The lingering fragrance was still there, his arm, used as a pillow all night, still aching, but Lan Ling had vanished without a trace.
Yang Hao sat on the bed, smiling bitterly while running his hand through his hair. A little new growth at the tips had been cut by Lan Ling. Other than that, this stubborn woman had not left even a single word.
“Yang Hao!” A brown figure rushed in from outside.
“What?” Yang Hao jumped up, nearly sending his sword flying, “Who is it?”
As he asked this question, he saw clearly who had rushed in. Who else would dare charge into Yang Hao’s room other than the old bear brought by the Oracle?
After Elder Hertz stormed in, he suspiciously scanned the room, disappointed to find no imagined naked woman or people having wild sex, “Where is she? Where is your little sister?”
“She left.” Yang Hao was even more disappointed than Hertz, “She just walked away while I was sleeping.”
“What?” Hertz looked up and down at Yang Hao, noticing that Yang Hao was still wearing the clothes from the day before, clearly not having any passionate encounters, and grinned slyly, “You still haven’t nailed her yet. This record is impressive. This woman is really something.”
“She really is something.” Yang Hao walked to the mirror to fix his hair, “She’s still upset about my engagement to the princess.”
“Right!” Hertz suddenly remembered the reason he had rushed in, “The crown prince has arrived and wants to see you.”
“The crown prince?” Yang Hao narrowed his eyes, vaguely recalling such a person. Back then, in the Beast Heart Sword Group, in the Grand Palace, this person had saved him several times.
“I don’t think it’s anything good. He seems very restless, not like someone who has just won a battle.” Hertz also started grooming his fur, though it only got messier.
Yang Hao tried to shift his thoughts away from Lan Ling and asked Hertz, “What do you think?”
Hertz, being a seasoned schemer, said, “Although the Ghost Elder suffered heavy losses and the emperor was rescued, the Senate’s strength hasn’t been greatly damaged. Moreover, judging from their actions of trapping the dragon rather than killing it, the situation wasn’t out of control yet.
But now that you’ve struck, the emperor and the Senate are now in open conflict.”
“Not necessarily a bad thing.” Yang Hao shrugged, “The old guy, Emperor Yinglie, wanted to hide behind the scenes and have me fight the Senate alone. He clearly thinks I have too long a life.”
“Now the royal family is in trouble.” Hertz, who had been at war with the empire his whole life, was somewhat pleased with the situation, “The elders won’t tolerate such a defeat. The crown prince is probably here to ask for your help.”
“We’ll see.” Yang Hao changed his clothes, “Who knows where hundreds of elders have gone.”
Yang Hao didn’t know where the elders had gone, but the crown prince did. Although he hadn’t participated in yesterday’s fierce battle, the crown prince could still recall it vividly. While he lacked his father’s boldness and martial prowess, the son of Emperor Yinglie was no fool. After the Ghost Barrier was broken, information from various sources poured in, making the crown prince sweat profusely. Without waiting for Emperor Yinglie’s orders, he rushed directly to Yang Hao’s residence.
The sun was bright today. The Dan Ding Sect’s estate was lush with plants, blooming flowers and green willows, a scene of prosperity rarely seen outside.
Yet such beauty did nothing to improve the crown prince’s mood. He always had a sense of worry, a feeling of an impending storm and an impending collapse.
When Yang Hao appeared, the crown prince couldn’t contain himself any longer, grabbing Yang Hao’s hand: “You’ve caused a big mess.”
“What’s wrong?” Yang Hao smiled and sat down, “Tea? It’s from the Oracle, the most fragrant in the universe.”
The crown prince kept a stern face: “You still have the heart to drink tea. Don’t you know it’s already a critical moment? Don’t you wait until death is at your door to feel fear?”
“I’ve been at death’s door many times.” Yang Hao pointed at his nose, “But I’m still alive, aren’t I? Why are you in such a hurry? Even if the sky falls, there’s always General Qin to hold it up.”
The crown prince stared at Yang Hao, trying to see through his expression whether Yang Hao was really so carefree.
Yang Hao spread his hands, letting him look as he wished.
Finally, the crown prince sighed and slumped into a chair, not lifting his head: “I know I’m useless. Even Father the Emperor thinks I’m pathetic. But this world, the entire universe, was conquered by the Senate. Can we really stand against the Senate? Father has great ambitions and doesn’t want to be oppressed by the Senate all his life, but he never thinks about how powerful the Senate is, how much strength the Chief Elders have, and there’s even a Supreme behind them. If today a single Ghost Elder could leave you helpless, who can stop them when the Nine Chiefs gather in the future?”
“What do you suggest?” Yang Hao asked.
“Surrender with humility.” The crown prince thought Yang Hao was genuinely asking, eagerly saying, “We should immediately go to Elder Mountain, apologize to the Chiefs, and ask them to decide.”
Yang Hao smiled. The crown prince’s naivety made him feel even more the helplessness and loneliness of Emperor Yinglie.
“Yang Hao, especially you, must sincerely apologize. You’ve made too many mistakes, even daring to assassinate the Supreme. The Senate is mainly dissatisfied with you. Now you’ve even implicated Father the Emperor.” The crown prince looked worried, genuinely troubled.
“You’re the future emperor. Do you really want to become a puppet of the Senate?”
The crown prince hesitated: “It can’t be that serious. After all, the elders need the royal family.”
“Even Emperor Yinglie, with his boldness, became half a puppet.” Yang Hao said casually, “What about you? If one day you really ascend the throne, will you become a soft ball in the elders’ hands?”
A soft ball is useless, easily flattened and rounded, manipulated at will.
“Yang Hao!” The crown prince stood up abruptly, “What you’re saying is treason!”
“Treason against whom?” Yang Hao remained unmoved, “You saved me twice, so I’m telling you this from the heart. If it were someone else, I wouldn’t even bother to talk to them.”
The crown prince sighed bitterly, his previous anger instantly gone. In fact, he also knew that what Yang Hao said was half right. If one day he ascended the throne, he would surely be played to death by the Senate.
The crown prince lacked Emperor Yinglie’s strength and had no way to resist, seemingly no other path but to be a puppet.
“You came here for something else, didn’t you?” Yang Hao asked.
“Oh, right!” The crown prince suddenly remembered his purpose, “I came to tell you about the Hidden Dragon Pavilion and to prepare you in advance.”
“Hidden Dragon Pavilion?” This was the first time Yang Hao had heard the term, but the Chaos Child inside him let out an indescribable sigh.
Even Hertz, who had just walked in, was astonished: “Hidden Dragon Pavilion? It still exists?”
“You know about it too?” The crown prince frowned at Hertz. This old bear looked terrible, making it hard to believe he was a top expert.
Hertz’s expression turned serious. He raised one palm, twisted his wrist strangely, and then clenched it into a fist, making an inexplicable gesture: “The sword is still in hand!”
With the sound, a sword aura burst from his body, soaring into the sky.
Yang Hao’s eyes lit up. This shout, he had also heard Emperor Yinglie yell it in the palace. Every time it was shouted, it became an exhilarating stimulant for boosting morale.
It seemed this slogan had a big story behind it.
Indeed, when Hertz made this gesture, the crown prince was shocked back a step:
“Who are you? Are you also a Hidden Dragon?”
“Elder Hertz.” Yang Hao briefly introduced, “The lifelong elder of the Holy Bear Star, the spiritual leader of the Bear Clan, the hero of the Outer Mongolia Left Spiral Arm War, and the deputy lord of the Oracle Autonomous Territory.”
“Hertz!” The crown prince jumped up. If it weren’t for Yang Hao being present, he might have run out the door and shouted for an assassin.
This was understandable for the crown prince’s overreaction. The name of this bear, Hertz, was truly notorious. He had been on the wanted lists of the Senate and the Empire for countless years, and the Empire had spent so much effort but had never managed to eliminate him.
It could be said that the spiritual leader of this rebel organization has been the Empire’s nightmare for decades—a thorn in their eye and a splinter in their flesh. Even though the rebels have now become the Oracular Dominion, Heid (赫德) is still a name that sends chills down the spines of the imperial nobility.
“It’s me.” Hades radiated an aura of unspoken authority, his beady eyes shooting out icy glares that could literally freeze the crown prince to death.
The crown prince struggled to suppress his panic, but the slight tremor in his hands, hidden behind his back, had already betrayed him.
Snap!
Yang Hao gave Hede a hard slap, completely ruining the imposing atmosphere: “Old bear, what’s all this talking for? Just tell me about the Shadow Dragon Pavilion already.”
Hed could threaten the crown prince, but he was completely powerless against Yang Hao: “Qianlong Pavilion is no small matter. It’s an organization—an influential yet enigmatic group known far and wide, yet remaining in the shadows.”
“It was the organization established by His Majesty the King,” the Crown Prince wanted to say to save face.
“You’re wrong!” Hades refuted mercilessly. “The existence of the Dragon’s Hidden Hall spans at least five thousand years, making it the oldest lineage on Earth. Your father was merely a part of it at most.”
“Five thousand years…” Yang Hao clicked his tongue, old enough anyway, more than the Hun Yuan Zi.
The ground is all old monsters.
“Not just five thousand years,” Hunyuanzi couldn’t help but interject. “In ancient times, the Qianlong Pavilion already existed.”
Yang Hao’s interest significantly increased along with the enhancement of his strength. He maintained a strong curiosity towards various martial arts techniques and divine artifacts from ancient times: “Hurry up and tell me, what kind of organization is Qianlong Pavilion exactly?”
“Qianlong Pavilion. It is an existence that cannot be destroyed.”
Both Hude and Hunyuanzi used the same sentence as their opening remark.
“In ancient times, there was a group of people who established the Hidden Dragon Pavilion, and these people referred to themselves as ‘Qian Long’ or ‘Hidden Dragons.'” said Hudd. “This name originates from a passage in the ancient mysterious book Yi Jing (The Book of Changes) on Earth, which reads ‘Qian Long Wu Yong,’ meaning ‘the hidden dragon takes no action.’ Since its establishment, the Hidden Dragon Pavilion has been the target of every ruling power throughout history. There have been countless wars throughout history sparked by the Pavilion, and who knows how many mighty rulers flew into a rage because of it, killing one person every ten steps, leaving no trace across thousands of miles.”
“But the Hidden Dragon Pavilion has always been there,” replied Huan Yuanzi. “Because they are indestructible.”
“Through five thousand years of history, as powers rose and fell amidst bloodshed and chaos, behind every historical moment stood it. Hardly a dynasty, hardly a war, that was not connected to it. Yet no matter whom the Hidden Dragon Chamber helped or elevated, once anyone ascended to power, they would inevitably seek to eliminate it.”
“But it is immortal,” said Hun Yuanzi.
“Why must the Qianlong Pavilion be eradicated?” Yang Hao frowned. “It should have also helped the monarch ascend the throne and contributed to the success of heroes’ grand ambitions. The Qianlong Pavilion should be regarded as a meritorious subject.”
“The Qianlong Pavilion has never been an organization of meritorious officials; it is a group of losers. Those ‘hidden dragons’ are the true failures of the world. They have been beaten down by their opponents, lost the ones they loved, lost everything they had, and in the end, they have absolutely nothing left except themselves,” said Hurd.
Yang Hao was astonished. In this world, there were countless organizations, each claiming to be the strongest in order to attract more talent and expand their influence. Yet, he had never heard of any organization that openly admitted to being losers.
An organization of losers, truly immortal?
“There are many who fail. Some people, at the first sign of hardship, begin to pity themselves and lament their fate. How can such people be called true failures? The real failures are those who endure countless perils and hardships, only to fall apart at the final moment—crushed in utter defeat, separated from loved ones, losing everything they once had. Yet, they do not give up. No matter how desperate the situation, a flame still burns within their hearts. That flame will one day become a divine fire capable of consuming the entire world. These people—these are the true dragons lying low.” Hede sighed in admiration, “Each generation of hidden dragons consists of great heroes and mighty warriors. Although they are failures, they possess an awe-inspiring power. With merely a stomp of their feet, they can alter mountains and rivers, overturning heaven and earth. How could a Hidden Dragon Guild composed of such individuals ever be destroyed?”
“Through five thousand years, the Qianlong Pavilion never perishes, nor do the souls of the defeated.” Hunyuanzi laughed loudly. “I myself nearly became a member of Qianlong. Alas, my burning desire for revenge caused me to narrowly miss the opportunity. Otherwise, who knows who would be wielding the sword today?”
“What about you?” Yang Hao asked Hede, “Are you one of the people from the Qianlong Pavilion?”
“I’m not,” Hede’s face turned red, his emotion so intense that even his hair seemed unable to conceal it. “Back then, on the Left旋arm of Outer Mongolia, I fought a fierce battle with Situ Hai and was severely wounded, nearly blown to pieces. It was the people from Qianlong Pavilion who saved us. Both Situ Hai and I wanted to join Qianlong Pavilion, but the people there said that since my country still existed, I wasn’t a true loser.”
“Uh…” Yang Hao nodded. “You were shamefully defeated and…”
“You’ve been abandoned?”
Hurd then blurted out an important statement: “But Stuart Haye has always been a member of the Qianlong Pavilion—he’s been one all along.”
“What logic is there that makes him the one and not you?” Yang Hao said, somewhat resentful. “Aren’t you the ones who fought in battles and got injured together?”
“He’s worse off than me,” Hude sighed, but said no more. “So many years have passed; I thought the Qianlong Pavilion had long since vanished. I never expected…”
“The Dragon’s Lair is about to be destroyed.” The crown prince finally had a chance to speak after listening to Bi Tian. “This is what I came to tell you today—the Dragon’s Lair, the Dragon’s Lair that has endured for five thousand years, is about to be eradicated.”
Yang Hao and Hude gazed silently at the crown prince.
“The Hidden Dragon Pavilion has actually always supported Father; they are, in fact, Father’s last resort.” The crown prince revealed the newly obtained information. “Father sent a group of royal descendants into the Hidden Dragon Pavilion, hoping that one day he could rely on the power of the Hidden Dragons to completely overthrow the Senate.”
“Did the Elders find out?” Yang Hao suddenly thought about the Elders’ departure and the news from the Merchant Guild regarding the martial arts experts.
“That’s right, the three hundred elders and the Eight Stewards have already surrounded the Qiulong Pavilion entirely,” the Crown Prince said bitterly. “The entire Senate has mobilized its full strength, and you all know very well how powerful they are. Tell me, do you think this time the Qiulong Pavilion will be destroyed?”
“The Hidden Dragon Pavilion is doomed, and the elders will return,” Yang Hao muttered. “This doesn’t seem good. If these old monsters come back, our lives are in serious danger.”
“It’s not that simple. The elders have surrounded the Dragon’s Hidden Pavilion and are negotiating with Father right now,” the crown prince said, staring at Yang Hao and emphasizing each word. “They demand that Father hand over one person before they will spare the Dragon’s Hidden Pavilion.”
“Exchange people?” Both Hede and Hunyuanzi exclaimed in surprise at the same time.
Yang Hao was taken aback. So, after all that, it still came back to him. Resigned to facing misfortune head-on, he grabbed his hair in frustration, “Could it be… they’re after me?”
The crown prince and Head watched Yang Hao silently, their sorrowful expressions clearly saying, “If not you, then who else…”
Yang Hao couldn’t help but feel wronged and frustrated, exclaiming, “It’s the emperor who’s behind the Long Gallery scheme—what does that have to do with me? I’m so young and promising, so why is everyone ganging up on me?”
The crown prince finally felt like he had regained some dignity from Yang Hao. Sympathetically, he patted Yang Hao on the shoulder and said, “Brother, I’ve passed on your message. Soon there will be a court discussion about this matter, and I’m afraid the high officials will certainly sacrifice you. You’d better prepare yourself early.”
Yang Hao’s face showed little expression, but deep down, he felt somewhat grateful toward the Crown Prince. This matter had little to do with the Crown Prince, who could have easily chosen not to inform him at all.
“Don’t worry, those old monsters might not necessarily be able to take me down,” Yang Hao smiled at the crown prince. “Today is not like the past; I’m no longer the person who would quietly stand trial inside the grand palace.”
“Hmm.” The crown prince felt greatly reassured in his heart; indeed, he did not wish for Yang Hao to be sacrificed in vain. “Oh, right, there’s also something else.”
“Anything else?” Yang Hao’s heart skipped a beat again. Could it be that he was cursed with bad luck today, as if the whole world was after his wonderful **.
“There will be a grand ball tomorrow night to celebrate the lifting of the siege on the palace, hosted by Xuanlan and me,” said the Crown Prince with a beaming smile. “All the young aristocratic elites of the imperial capital will attend. You are my top invited guest, and besides, you’re now Xuanlan’s fiancé, the future son-in-law of the Emperor, and my future brother-in-law. Do come early!”
“Huh?”
Yang Hao looked at the crown prince’s insincere, malicious smile, and his frustration deepened. This was truly an example of bringing up the very issue best left alone—how could he possibly deal with this mysterious Xianlan when he hadn’t even resolved the matter with Lan Ling yet?
But the Crown Prince had already shoved a golden invitation into Yang Hao’s hand, his hopeful gaze practically roasting Yang Hao alive: “I’m rooting for you, brother-in-law!”
Yang Hao was convinced that the crown prince was undoubtedly an incarnation of misfortune; every time he appeared, it was a sign of bad luck.
I wish the day after tomorrow would arrive a little slower.
The Senate demanded that the emperor hand over Yang Hao.
Meet Princess Hordeluna.
Among these two matters, the one Yang Hao least wanted to happen was actually the latter.
Princess Xianlan’s terrifying power had actually surpassed that of the Nine Grand Elders, causing even Yang Hao, a newly emerged peak Saint Domain expert, to avoid confronting her.
Unfortunately, the more one fears something, the more likely it is to happen. Moreover, Yang Hao is now officially the fiancé of Princess Xianlan. Even if the two of them wanted to avoid meeting each other, not only would they themselves never agree, but the entire world would never allow it either.
So the day arrived very quickly.
The imperial ball has always been a stage for the young aristocrats of the empire to showcase themselves. Especially when Crown Prince and the Princess jointly host the event, it becomes one of the most significant social occasions in the capital. Only the offspring of high-ranking officials and nobles can receive invitations. If someone manages to obtain one of those golden invitations, it means he has been accepted by the empire’s upper class; even his entire family would consider it a great honor.
Speaking of the Crown Prince, he truly had Yang Hao’s best interests at heart. Although over this period of time, Yang Hao had already become a widely recognized young martial arts expert within the empire—having even saved the life of Emperor Yinglie himself. Among the sons of lower and middle-ranking nobles, Yang Hao’s reputation was unparalleled, almost god-like.
However, the imperial aristocracy did not accept him. Among the true upper echelons of nobility, most regarded Yang Hao’s achievements as insignificant, and at the core of their hearts, they looked down upon this minor figure born from the commoners.
The crown prince personally invited Yang Hao to the ball, painstakingly orchestrating his formal entry into high society in preparation for him to one day become the princess’s husband.
Tonight’s ball is held in celebration of the royal city’s recent liberation from peril. Therefore, the venue was set within the royal city itself, not far from where the elder ghost, Gui Yuansan, had once established his ghostly barrier. It is a palace used by the Imperial Guard for training exercises. Within just a few days, the entire building was renovated and beautifully decorated. Tons of ballroom equipment were transported in, and soon a dazzling and splendid venue for celebration emerged.
When Yang Hao stepped into this luxurious establishment, night had already fallen. Outside, it was pitch black, impossible to see even one’s hand, and thus impossible to see the corpses of the tens of thousands of imperial guards who had fallen here. Yet, as Yang Hao entered the lavishly lit palace of revelry, he could still faintly detect a lingering scent of blood.
Soon, he saw the people that the imperial guards were determined to protect with their lives.
As Yang Hao stepped through the door, the entire party fell silent in an instant—the music, the chatter, everything came to a sudden halt. Everyone in the room turned their heads simultaneously, fixing Yang Hao with a variety of intense gazes.
Today, Yang Hao was exceptionally handsome, almost dazzlingly so. Unlike other nobles who might wear gaudy golden garments or eccentric outfits to attract women’s attention, Yang Hao simply wore a black commander’s uniform, an attire reserved exclusively for the highest-ranking military generals in the empire. The well-tailored military uniform accentuated his tall and upright stature. Furthermore, the light silver-colored shoulder cape he wore was an ornament typically granted only to the highest-ranking officials, second only to the royal family members. It was such a rare and prestigious adornment that even the fathers of the noble youths present, let alone the youths themselves, could count on one hand the number of people qualified to wear it.
Yang Hao’s gaunt face and jet-black hair, slightly tinged with red, emerged from the silent, dark night, leaving those proud noble girls staring in astonishment.
In their settlement, someone whispered, “The Undying Warrior, that’s the Undying Warrior Yang Hao.”
These sounds only made the women more smitten, their eyes gleaming with admiration, longing to rush forward at once.
Yang Hao stood there for a moment before the silence at the party was finally broken. New music and conversations resumed, but this time it was a bit different. Seemingly everyone’s eyes kept glancing, more or less, in Yang Hao’s direction.
Yang Hao glanced around slightly, and indeed, the gathering among nobles was extravagantly luxurious. Apart from the abundant food and strong alcohol, more than a thousand pots of fresh flowers, transported over long distances from the Oracle, had already been arranged, almost turning the entire palace into an ocean of blossoms. Meanwhile, every noble adorned themselves with jewelry more dazzling than the next, as if they were all attending a grand competition of brilliance.
Every ball had its natural protagonist, and today was no exception. However, becoming the center of attention at a ball required more than just high status. For example, the Crown Prince himself, despite his elevated position, found himself surrounded by indifference because he was already married and his wife was present.
Before Yang Hao joined, there were absolutely two focal points at the ball. One of them was naturally Princess Xianlan. Today, the princess was again heavily made up, wearing a low-cut silver evening gown. Her long skirt dragged on the ground, yet the hem was slit high up, teasingly revealing glimpses of her tender, fair thighs. Although Princess Xianlan had a notorious reputation, she was undeniably beautiful and highly skilled in handling people. As a result, she continued to be surrounded by a group of clueless noble young men who fawned around her, treating her like a celestial maiden.
Another focal point was something quite peculiar. Lan Ling also attended the ball today, though unlike Xian Lan, she wasn’t particularly sociable. She had simply thrown on a purple dress that fell below the knee, revealing her well-proportioned calves.
She happened to be wearing high heels for once, making her look even more slender. Lan Ling usually never wore any jewelry, but today she had paired her outfit with diamond earrings and a necklace. This unexpected touch of delicacy made her particularly stunning.
Lan Ling was all alone, sitting quietly in a corner of the ballroom and sipping her drink indifferently. When Yang Hao walked in, she didn’t even glance sideways. However, Lan Ling was undoubtedly another focal point of the ballroom. Not far from her stood a large group of noble young men, forming a circle. They dared not approach her, yet their eyes were fixed on Lan Ling, whispering amongst themselves, seemingly discussing how to please the icy beauty. In terms of numbers, the group of nobles showing admiration for Lan Ling actually outnumbered those surrounding Xian Lan.
Lan Ling was known as the most beautiful woman in the imperial capital, her reputation for beauty even surpassing that of Princess Xianlan. Yet, she was equally renowned as an icy beauty, famously unapproachable. While aristocratic young men usually excelled at chasing after pretty women, they had all suffered at Lan Ling’s hands. As a result, they dared not act recklessly in her presence and could only admire her from afar. However, if the beautiful Miss Lan so much as cast a glance in someone’s direction, it would be enough to spark a lengthy conversation among the onlookers.
“Just now, Lanling looked at me.”
“You lucky bastard must’ve stepped in some dog shit, because even I, who’s so damn handsome, didn’t get a single glance from her.”
“Do you think I could go ask her to dance?”
“If you want to die, go ahead. Have you forgotten how formidable her silver spear is?”
“Why are you still here? Why don’t you go to the princess? The princess won’t stab you with a gun.”
“Rubbish! The most beautiful girl in the capital isn’t someone just anyone can approach. I’ve had my eyes on Lan Ling since I was five years old, and even today, I still haven’t managed to dance with her once. Do you know how hard I’ve worked for this?”
“I heard that Lan Ling and that guy Yang Hao have been linked in some rumors.”
“Just rumors. Lan Ling would never set her eyes on him. Our capital’s number one beauty, the ultimate ice queen, falling for an ordinary guy? That guy would need a lifetime’s worth of luck for something like that.”
Yang Hao, a commoner boy in the eyes of these nobles, had inadvertently become a center of attention. However, his situation was somewhat different—surrounding him in large numbers were noblewomen.
These women were all of notable backgrounds, mostly daughters of high-ranking imperial officials or famous courtesans from high society. They usually held themselves in high esteem. Although they might not be as cold as Lan Ling, even when faced with nobles of lower or middle ranks, they wouldn’t even bother to lift their eyelids. Let alone someone like Yang Hao, a common-born officer.
But now things are very different. Yang Hao has become a rising star in the empire. His reputation as the Indomitable War God has spread throughout the land, and his status as the Lord of the Divine Edict Autonomous Territory, the premier sword sect in the universe, is no less prestigious than that of a chief minister.
A young, handsome, and top-tier figure like him would naturally attract socialites like flies to honey.
Yang Hao couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on. He had thought the ball was merely a social gathering for idle young nobles, and he had come here simply to catch a glimpse of Lan Ling. However, the moment he walked in, he found himself surrounded by a crowd of heavily made-up women. To make matters worse, various strange perfumes assailed his nose one after another. Yang Hao barely managed to suppress his urge to sneeze, doing his best to keep some distance from these women.
But the women took Yang Hao’s reserve as shyness, and swarmed around him even more eagerly. A mass of soft, tender breasts pressed against him, leaving Yang Hao so flustered he wished he could just draw his Shadow Moon blade and fight his way out.
In fact, Yang Hao had already spotted Lan Ling as soon as he entered. He had wanted to rush to Lan Ling’s side immediately, but along the way, he was surrounded by numerous beauties from high society, making it extremely difficult for him to even take a step forward. Yang Hao noticed that although Lan Ling hadn’t looked his way and was simply sipping his drink indifferently, his expression was growing colder and darker by the moment.
Just as Yang Hao was about to erupt, the imperial heir, who seemed perpetually plagued by bad luck, appeared once again.
“Yang Hao!” The crown prince’s excited voice was enough to make one suspect whether there was some forbidden homosexual secret between him and Yang Hao.
The crown prince didn’t hold back at all. After making his entrance, he directly grabbed Yang Hao’s hand and pulled him to the center of the gathering. Raising his hand to signal everyone to quiet down, he loudly announced, “Let me introduce to everyone our most important guest of honor tonight.”
Although almost everyone recognized Yang Hao, the men’s gazes carried more disdain; they had come over and formed a circle around him entirely out of respect for the Crown Prince’s sake.
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