Strongest War Emperor

”Miss Fenghen, you may have a misunderstanding about me. I’m not one for boasting. Whether it’s Artifact Refining or Alchemy, while I’m not very skilled, I do know a little bit. There’s no need to lie about something like that.”

Shen Lang felt he was being plenty humble. ’To think that saying I ”knew a little” is still considered too arrogant...’ He couldn’t help but rub his nose and give a wry smile.

”Oh?” Sima Yan perked up. ”You don’t just know Artifact Refining, but Alchemy as well?”

As Sima Yan spoke, he glanced over at Mo Liusheng, only to see the old fellow looking blank, watching Shen Lang with great curiosity as well.

”Just a little, just a little,” Shen Lang repeated.

Hearing this, Mo Liusheng’s eyes lit up. ’From the sound of it, Shen Lang’s skill in Alchemy might be no less than his skill in Artifact Refining! Good heavens, this is incredible!’

He now believed Shen Lang’s words two hundred percent, not daring to harbor even a sliver of doubt.

But Sima Yan, sitting opposite him, was a different story. The dissatisfaction in his heart grew a little more.

’When Shen Lang refuted me earlier, it was somewhat excusable. It’s normal for a young man to be a bit arrogant after gaining some strength. Besides, he knew enough to apologize afterward, which was at least decent.’

’Look at those people Shen Lang had just insulted. Weren’t every single one of them self-proclaimed geniuses?’

’Shen Lang had just taught these ”geniuses” a lesson and was riding high. It was understandable for him to say a few impulsive things.’

’But when it came to Artifact Refining and Alchemy, that’s no small matter.’

’The two old men sitting before you are the Director of the Artifact Refining Institute and the Dean of the Alchemy Institute. Forget Tayun Academy, even in all of Celestial Phoenix City, the only ones who can compete with us in Artifact Refining and Alchemy are those two or three old bastards from Celestial God Academy.’

’To smile in front of figures like us and claim you know Artifact Refining and Alchemy... do you have any idea how conceited you are? How arrogant? How... idiotic?’

But before Sima Yan could offer a few solemn words of advice, Shen Lang stood up, bowed slightly, and said apologetically, ”Sorry to have disturbed you all. I haven’t been home in a few months, and I just came back to see my parents. I won’t trouble you any longer.”

With that, he gave a slight nod to Mo Liusheng, turned, and walked out of the private room.

”How outrageous! In all my life, I, Sima Fenghen, have never seen someone so wild! Not even Chu Qingcheng is that arrogant! Who does he think he is? He’s just a wet-behind-the-ears brat, yet he dares to claim he knows Alchemy and Artifact Refining in front of Dad and Uncle Mo! And he’s so rude! Countless people would kill for a chance to say a few words to my father, yet he acted like it was a chore...” Sima Fenghen was fuming.

Mo Liusheng, who had just stood up to follow him out, immediately froze. He looked at Sima Fenghen with some embarrassment and said, ”Fenghen, you don’t understand. Young Shen Lang isn’t being arrogant at all. Everything he said is true, and... in fact, he was being extremely humble!”

Sima Fenghen’s expression froze. She opened her mouth but didn’t say anything more, though the look in her eyes showed her anger had not yet subsided.

”Elder Mo, do you know what I’ve hated most about you all these years? It’s that you never just spit it the hell out! You hoard your words like they’re treasure! So what’s the deal with Shen Lang? Why is he this ’great benefactor’ you speak of? What kind of talent does he have in the Artifact Refining Dao—can’t you just explain it in one sentence? Stop playing mysterious with me! If you don’t want to talk, then get out. With this whole commotion you’ve caused, I haven’t even finished a single cup of wine!” Sima Yan said, downing the wine in his cup.

”Shen Lang refined a Profound Artifact right in front of me.” This time, Mo Liusheng was very direct, really saying it in just one sentence.

”PFFT!” The wine Sima Yan had just poured into his mouth sprayed out.

But Mo Liusheng was prepared. A protective barrier around his body blocked all the wine, but the food and drinks on the table were a total loss.

Sima Yan had just been steeling himself, trying to guess just how talented Shen Lang was—talented enough for Mo Liusheng, a Spirit Level Fourth Grade Artifact Refiner, to treat him as such an important person. He never, ever expected him to be *this* strong!

Profound Artifacts. They were a tier above Spiritual Artifacts.

And the most powerful item Mo Liusheng could refine was merely a Fourth Grade Spiritual Artifact! Even then, it wasn’t like he could just craft one whenever he wanted!

’The levels in Alchemy are the same as in Artifact Refining. In that case, if what Mo Liusheng said is true... does that mean Shen Lang, the young man Fenghen was just scolding, is actually a higher level than me, Sima Yan?’

’He can refine a Profound Artifact, and he calls that ”knowing just a little” about Artifact Refining.’

’And just now, when talking about Alchemy, he also said he ”knew just a little”... Don’t tell me that in Alchemy, he’s also... ’

Even though Sima Yan was old and had seen his fair share of storms, he was now dumbfounded, his mind a complete mess.

”Why didn’t you say so earlier!” Sima Yan roared, looking like he was about to strangle Mo Liusheng right then and there.

Tayun Academy had produced another Artifact Refining Master—no, a Master of both Artifact Refining and Alchemy! What a world-shaking revelation!

Forget being skilled in both; even with just one of them, like Artifact Refining, Tayun Academy would be able to firmly suppress Celestial God Academy!

The two academies had been locked in a fierce rivalry for years, fighting both openly and covertly. Now that Shen Lang had burst onto the scene, that bunch from Celestial God Academy...

”HAHAHAHA!” At the thought of those fellows’ ashen faces, Sima Yan burst into manic laughter, startling Sima Fenghen behind him.

”It’s not that I didn’t say so earlier; I genuinely didn’t know he also knew Alchemy. As for Artifact Refining, though, you’d be dead wrong to think he can only make First Grade Profound Artifacts. I couldn’t see the full extent of his strength, but there’s no way he’s merely a Profound Level First or Second Grade Artifact Refiner. In his technique, I glimpsed the touch of a grandmaster. The only reason he forged a First Grade Profound Artifact was that the materials weren’t good enough. He then simply took apart my Third Grade Spirit Array Map and reassembled it.”

Mo Liusheng leaned back and spoke unhurriedly. He was thoroughly enjoying the current situation—watching that old fool Sima Yan’s eyes go wide as saucers, his mouth hanging open, unable to close for the longest time.

”CRASH!” The table was flipped over, sending bowls and chopsticks shattering to the floor. Sima Yan leaped like a tiger and grabbed Mo Liusheng by the neck. ”You old bastard! You’re only telling me something this important now? I’ll kill you!”

The two old men started scuffling with each other.

Sima Fenghen shook her head helplessly. ”There they go again... It’s like I don’t even exist. I thought that since I only come back once every six months, you two might actually pay some attention to me.”

She rolled her eyes, quietly exited the private room, and carefully put a finger to her lips, shushing the people outside.

’I just can’t wrap my head around it. How can that bastard be so incredible? How old is he? Not only is his Cultivation so tyrannical, but he’s on par with my father and Uncle Mo in Artifact Refining and Alchemy? No, from what Uncle Mo said, it’s not as simple as just being on par... Back at Tayun Academy, I heard people talk about him. They said he was a good-for-nothing without a Martial Soul, that he was Moran’s younger brother. This guy is really strange...’

Sima Fenghen’s red lips parted slightly as she subconsciously gazed down at the street below.

Even though she knew it was impossible to see his figure now, she couldn’t help but scan the street back and forth, only retracting her gaze with a hint of disappointment after a long while.

...

The Shen Family, one of the four great families, occupied the northwestern corner of Celestial Phoenix City, in the direction of Tayun Academy.

Therefore, after leaving the Celestial Phoenix Tavern, Shen Lang took a leisurely stroll and arrived back at the Shen Family estate without much time passing.

”Well, well, if it isn’t our Young Master Shen Lang? I never thought Young Master Lang would actually come home. How rare...”

”A rare guest, a rare guest! The academy isn’t on break yet, but Young Master Lang is already home, haha!”

He was still more than ten meters from the Shen Family Mansion when several servants outside the compound spotted Shen Lang’s figure in the lamplight and immediately started calling out in an exaggerated manner.

Shen Lang acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing, his pace neither hurried nor slow as he walked over.

Servants offending their masters was an extremely serious and unlikely occurrence in any family or faction.

Except in the Shen Family... or more accurately, in Shen Lang’s household, it couldn’t be more normal.

Because of this, Shen Lang had been in countless fights since he was a child and had been ganged up on just as many times.

Back when Shen Lang’s father, Shen Haotian, was still the Clan Leader, this sort of thing only happened secretly, and Shen Lang got beaten up less often.

But after Shen Haotian gave up his position as Clan Leader, the number of fights Shen Lang got into gradually increased.

No matter how they fought, it would always end with nothing resolved, because the Clan Leader and the Elder Council would just brush it off with a few noncommittal words.

In the eyes of most people in the Shen Family, Shen Lang’s household was a strange combination. The only relatively normal one was his older sister, Shen Moran.

Shen Haotian despised evil. In the years he served as Clan Leader, he offended many people, both inside and outside the family. So, after he fell gravely ill, those who held grudges against him all came out of the woodwork and began to move against him.

Unfortunately, Shen Haotian was bedridden with a serious illness, practically a cripple. Only this year had he recovered slightly, occasionally able to get out of bed and walk.

As for Shen Lang’s mother, she was rumored to have come from Cuihong House. Although she had been one of the Cultured Courtesans who only performed and did not sell their bodies, and was exceptionally beautiful and kind-hearted, she was not well-received in the Shen Family.

As for Shen Lang, ever since he was adopted by Shen Haotian at the age of six, the Shen Family had never truly acknowledged his status—otherwise, how would these servants dare to so brazenly and publicly humiliate a young master of the Shen Family?

The reason for this lack of acknowledgment wasn’t actually that he lacked Shen Family blood, but that he was completely unable to cultivate—a good-for-nothing with a Celestial Vein Sacred Body.

Seeing the insolent and arrogant servants, a cold glint spread through Shen Lang’s eyes. He grinned and said, ”Hello, everyone. Long time no see.”

”Hehehe, yeah, long time no see. Who’d have thought a good-for-nothing like you would grow so tall.” The four servants surrounded him with malicious smiles, casually blocking his path as they looked him up and down.

”Yeah, yeah, who would’ve thought. Our Young Master Lang is looking quite sharp now, almost like a real person. Just like his good-for-nothing old man.”

A flash of killing intent crossed Shen Lang’s eyes, but he just smiled. ”As servants of the Shen Family, aren’t you going a little too far with words like that...”

”Too far my ass! Who the fuck do you think you are? The great young master of the Shen Family? You’re just a bastard!” the leader spat. ”I’m a servant of the Shen Family, a servant of Young Master Shen Jianfeng’s household, not your trash family’s! What fucking right do you have to order me around? Can your good-for-nothing old man control me? Or can your whore mother control us? Fuck!”

Another one, a short man with a weaselly face, patted Shen Lang on the chest and said, ”Hey, Young Master Lang, got any Gold Coins? How about lending us a few to spend?”

”I do.” Shen Lang readily took out a bag of Gold Coins.

The men froze for a second, then became ecstatic. The bag was bulging; it looked like it had at least a thousand Gold Coins!

’This good-for-nothing must be scared of us! Haha, we’ve hit the jackpot!’