Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 129: Chapter 127 Gathering Together

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”Yes, he is still in seclusion.”

”Is it to break through to which First Layer?”

”That... I’m not sure.” Xiao Ruoling lightly shook her head, ”I’m not very knowledgeable about these things, and I haven’t asked much.”

”Indeed, if you’re not practicing martial arts, you wouldn’t care about such matters. Fighting and killing are boring,” Li Hongzhao nodded, ”It’s only after coming to Yujing that I’ve heard of the name of Prince Heir Yuan.”

Xiao Ruoling said, ”It seems he’s not very famous, right?”

Li Hongzhao chuckled, ”How could he not be famous after defeating Cheng Tianfeng?”

Xiao Ruoling showed a puzzled expression.

Li Hongzhao couldn’t see that she held martial arts skills herself.

It seems like, although Li Hongzhao is a Grandmaster, her discernment isn’t as keen as the Prince Heir’s.

Li Hongzhao said, ”Cheng Tianfeng is indeed a remarkable figure, a true disciple of Wentian Cliff, a closed-door disciple of the State Preceptor, and exceptionally talented, rare in the world.”

”He’s still at the Innate Realm, isn’t he? Your Highness, you are already a Grandmaster.”

”I...” Li Hongzhao laughed softly, ”I was simply lucky, a coincidence brought me to the level of a Grandmaster. It’s not true skill.”

”How does Cheng Tianfeng know it’s not luck?” Xiao Ruoling smiled, ”Your Highness, there’s no need to belittle yourself, a twenty-five-year-old Grandmaster is indeed rare in this world.”

”It truly wasn’t just luck... Yujing has produced a twenty-three-year-old Grandmaster,” Li Hongzhao said, ”Huang Shiron of the White Cloud Sword Palace.”

Xiao Ruoling nodded gently, ”Miss Huang is indeed extremely formidable and highly gifted.”

”Is that her?” Li Hongzhao suddenly pointed outside the window.

Xiao Ruoling looked over and immediately saw Huang Shiron in a yellow gown amid the bustling crowd.

She was strolling among the crowd, gracefully and effortlessly like a fish swimming through water, finding openings.

Despite the crowd, no one could touch her apricot-yellow Luo shirt, an invisible force kept others at bay.

”It is indeed Miss Huang.”

”How about we invite her over for a meeting?”

”This... would be too abrupt, wouldn’t it?”

”Isn’t this a chance encounter? Since we’ve met, let’s see her... Xiao Lu, please invite Miss Huang over for a chat.”

”Yes.” A graceful maid outside answered crisply and drifted away.

She was a charming young girl, graceful and bright, weaving through the crowd lightly, and soon came before Huang Shiron.

From her emerald sleeve, she took out a name card and presented it.

Wen Qianqian looked at her cautiously, took the name card, then turned to look towards the teahouse.

The three girls saw Li Hongzhao at the window, raising a tea cup in greeting.

Inside the window, Li Hongzhao had a full smile, beautiful as a flower.

”Let’s go over and pay a visit to Her Highness the Ninth Princess then,” Huang Shiron nodded lightly.

The three girls followed the little maid up the stairs and entered the room, while Wen Qianqian and Xu Mengyu tactfully didn’t enter, leaving only Huang Shiron to enter.

The three girls exchanged pleasantries and then sat down to talk.

Li Hongzhao was very warm and lacked the arrogance of a princess, speaking brightly and magnanimously.

”In these past days, the three of us have been a topic of discussion, compared against each other, and I didn’t expect we would come together today. It’s the divine will bringing us together here. Come, let’s toast each other with tea instead of wine!”

She said this and stood up, lifted her tea cup, and took a large sip, displaying her grand demeanor.

The two women, inspired by her words, couldn’t help but feel spirited and also stood up to take a big sip of tea.

The friendship between women comes quickly; sometimes at a first meeting, in just a moment, they can become familiar and close.

Although they each have their own positions and are opposed to each other, on the surface, they laugh and chat like old friends.

After the three sat down, they began chatting idly.

”Miss Huang, I came with the intention of being the most remarkable, the youngest Grandmaster in the world, wanting to outshine the young generation of Martial Arts in Yujing, but upon arriving, you had already outshone me.”

”How could Your Highness’s brilliance be outshone by a young woman?” Huang Shiron smiled, ”Your Highness’s shine is unmatched in comparison.”

”What shine and not, what matters most to everyone is cultivation,” Li Hongzhao smiled sweetly, ”The stronger the cultivation, the louder the voice can be heard, otherwise, even a prince wouldn’t be acknowledged.”

The two women fell silent, with nothing to say.

It’s indeed the truth.

”Just like Prince Qing of Yujing,” Li Hongzhao laughed, ”The prestigious Third Prince, but what’s the situation now? Fortunately, the Prince Heir is capable, or the Prince Mansion would be in dire straits, otherwise, a fallen phoenix is worse than a chicken, living miserably.”

She had seen some struggling princes and kings.

It seemed they could still maintain luxurious lives, but everywhere they were slighted, isolated from social circles, forced to close their mansions to live their own lives.

Even so, there would still be people harassing them.

All day long, there was no peace, not as free and comfortable as an ordinary citizen.

”The Prince Heir is indeed extraordinary.” Huang Shiron looked at Xiao Ruoling.

Xiao Ruoling pressed her lips and smiled silently.

Li Hongzhao said, ”I was just talking to Miss Xiao about Prince Qing’s heir. It’s truly remarkable, too bad I can’t witness it myself. Miss Huang, are you well acquainted with Prince Zhiyuan?”

”The Prince Heir... relatively so.” Huang Shiron nodded gently, ”I’ve met several times, and there’s been some official interaction.”

”And how is he?”

”Naturally, the Prince Heir is extraordinary.”

”How does he compare to you?”

”As for me, I am far behind.” Huang Shiron lightly shook her head, ”The Prince Heir is unparalleled, there’s no comparison. The light of fireflies cannot compete with the bright moon.”

Li Hongzhao laughed softly.

Xiao Ruoling also felt it was a bit much.

Huang Shiron’s words praised Chu Zhiyuan too highly and belittled herself excessively, making it seem exaggerated and therefore unbelievable.

Li Hongzhao laughed, ”When we three talk, there’s no need for courtly flattery, strength is strength, weakness is weakness... Although I’m a Grandmaster, it’s due to fortunate encounters and coincidences, not true skill, so I’ve always been wary of Cheng Tianfeng. Cheng Tianfeng is truly formidable, but unexpectedly, he was dealt with so harshly by Chu Zhiyuan.”

Huang Shiron smiled, ”Your Highness, it wasn’t just flattery, it’s truly words from the heart. The strength of the Prince Heir is indeed rare in this world.”

Xiao Ruoling pressed her lips and smiled, ”He’s not here, Master Huang, you’re too kind.”

”... Oh well.” Seeing their expressions, Huang Shiron knew her words were not being believed, so she didn’t bother to speak further.

”Shiron, it’s not that we don’t believe you, but no matter how strong he is, can he break through to a Grandmaster at twenty-three?” Li Hongzhao laughed.

”Yes, he can.” Huang Shiron said firmly.

Li Hongzhao laughed, ”Becoming a Grandmaster is mysterious, some people reach Innate Perfection early but are stuck for a lifetime, while others struggle to reach Innate Perfection but soon step into being a Grandmaster. It’s hard to say.”

”The Prince Heir is different,” Huang Shiron said, ”For others, advancing to a Grandmaster is difficult, for him, it’s not.”

”In that case...” Li Hongzhao looked at the usually silent Xiao Ruoling, smiled, ”Miss Xiao, it seems you have discerning eyes.”

”Master Huang, you’re too kind. Your Highness, I can tell, inviting me here is just a pretense, you want to find him, right?” Xiao Ruoling laughed, ”Wait a few days for him to come out of seclusion, and then go see him directly.”

”If I just suddenly visit him, I’m afraid he won’t see me.” Li Hongzhao laughed.

Xiao Ruoling pressed her lips and smiled lightly.

Indeed, as expected of Li Hongzhao, so astute and insightful, especially precise in understanding people’s minds.

Chu Zhiyuan indeed wouldn’t easily meet her and would definitely avoid her.

Just at that moment, there was a commotion outside, and the three women looked out through the window.

Only to see a young man standing before the teahouse, surrounded by a group of knights in white robes, coldly watching the Stepping Cloud Iron Cavalry blocking the entrance.

”Cheng Tianfeng?” Li Hongzhao snorted.

Xiao Ruoling nodded lightly, ”It is indeed Prince Heir Cheng.”

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