Chapter 205 - 107: Can You Move Me With Your Body and Sincerity?

Chapter 205: Chapter 107: Can You Move Me With Your Body and Sincerity?

Let me tell you!

Luotang is amazing with lightning magic and swordsmanship! Plus, she’s the dream girl of many of Lingge’s most talented young men. Recruiting her as a Mansion Official would be a huge boost to your prestige."

"Huh?"

Zhao Ci finally snapped out of his anxiety. "By the way," he asked, curious, "why exactly is Miss Luotang the dream girl for all of Lingge’s talented young men? I don’t quite get it..."

He was genuinely curious. Kan Luotang was certainly beautiful; among the women of Lingge, she’d rank in the top ten, at least.

She also enjoyed writing poetry, and her skill was apparently quite high.

’But is that enough to mesmerize all of Lingge’s top talents? Seems a bit of a stretch, doesn’t it?’

Zhu Li looked at him, astonished. "You don’t know?"

"I don’t!"

Zhao Ci shook his head.

Zhu Li thought for a moment. "Right! Everyone who went back then was a young elite. It makes sense you wouldn’t know!"

Zhao Ci: "???"

’What’s that supposed to mean!’

’What in the world is she talking about?’

Oblivious to how her words stung, Zhu Li began to recount the events of that year.

After she finished, Zhao Ci finally understood the full story.

Lingge was home to many children of great clans. To provide them with a quality education, the Royal Family established the Great Yu Academy Palace, where a host of profoundly learned masters taught.

He had studied there before as well.

But like any school, students were sorted into different tiers. The ones who weren’t good enough couldn’t get into the advanced classes.

The young men now considered top talents were all in the elite classes back then. Kan Tianji, as the Celestial Divination Grand Scholar, happened to be one of the Chief Palace Masters, teaching the students astrology and medicinal herbs.

About five or six years ago, he took a group of students deep into the mountains to observe the stars, as well as to gather and identify medicinal herbs.

As luck would have it, an earthquake struck. Landslides buried several villages. Fortunately, with Kan Tianji protecting them, the group of noble students only suffered injuries and their lives were never in danger.

After getting the students to a safe area, he went to help with disaster relief, leaving Kan Luotang to treat their injuries along with the rescued villagers.

At first, only the young nobles were there, so Kan Luotang began by treating their wounds.

But when the villagers were brought over, Kan Luotang saw that their injuries were much more severe and prioritized treating them instead.

These young nobles were only about ten years old. Though they had trained in martial arts since a young age and couldn’t be called pampered, they still believed their lives were more valuable than those of the mountain folk. Thus, they started shouting and making a fuss.

The result...

Whoever complained, Kan Luotang zapped them.

A single jolt of lightning magic was enough to make them behave.

The only one who dared to resist was Zhao Yong.

Then Zhao Yong was hit with a blast of lightning magic and a kick for good measure, and he immediately fell in line.

All he could do was watch as Kan Luotang treated the villagers’ wounds. There weren’t many of them, however, so after she finished with them, she came back to bandage the nobles, holding no grudge whatsoever over the earlier conflict.

Later, everyone returned safely to Lingge. Kan Tianji investigated and determined that the earthquake wasn’t a natural disaster. Instead, two masters at the Divine Treasure Second Layer had been fighting over a treasure deep within the mountain’s core, causing it to collapse.

It infuriated Kan Tianji, who killed both of them on the spot with a single palm strike.

Then, upon returning to Lingge, he resigned from his position as an Academy Palace master. After all, it was utterly humiliating for a top expert in celestial divination to lead students on a field trip only to run into an earthquake.

Even though it was man-made, he still found it disgraceful.

’Still... the reason Kan Luotang became everyone’s goddess now made perfect sense.’

’Beautiful, kind-hearted, responsible, and highly competent.’

’Most importantly, she was powerful. She’d mastered lightning magic at such a young age.’

’And she zapped them.’

’How could that bunch of Stockholm syndrome cases not become completely obsessed with her?’

’Especially Zhao Yong. He got special treatment—an extra kick—so his adoration was even more absurd...’

’Later, when these Stockholm cases grew up and became talented young men, they all started expressing their admiration for Kan Luotang, and that’s how the trend started, wasn’t it?’

’And so, Kan Luotang became the idealized dream girl for all the youth of Lingge.’

’Talk about an advertising effect...’

However, he felt that Kan Luotang deserved the admiration of so many.

Zhu Li lowered her voice. "If you’re too embarrassed to ask her, I can help talk to her for you."

Zhao Ci grinned. "Aren’t you afraid Mr. Kan will smash your little head in?"

"Ah!"

Zhu Li’s face fell. She ducked her head and didn’t dare mention the subject again.

Zhao Ci glanced back, then led his group onward toward the Imperial Clan Court.

’This Zhang Da Yong, or rather, Huangfu Song, is just in the stage of trying to figure me out.’

’He’s not much of a danger.’

’Besides, according to Xiangzhu, Huangfu Song can only increase Zhang Da Yong’s strength by fifty percent at most. He poses no threat to me. And since I have the Hundred Poison Secret Manual, I don’t really need to worry about being poisoned.’

’It might be better to keep him around. I might even be able to probe him for information.’

’It’s just...’

’Are my easy pickings really all gone?’

As he pondered these things, his group arrived at the Imperial Clan Court. After registering with the officials there, they all entered the grounds.

The Martial Arts Arena at the Imperial Clan Court was clearly larger than those at the individual mansions. The surrounding regalia had been set up, making the scene feel exceptionally grand and inspiring a sense of solemnity in all who saw it.

The Householders and their Mansion Officials were, of course, seated in the front rows surrounding the Martial Arts Arena.

Before long, everyone was in place.

GONG!

With the tolling of a great bell, two men emerged from the main hall, walking side by side.

One was Zhao Huan, but the other was not the Empress or any of the Consorts.

It was a middle-aged man who bore a striking resemblance to Zhao Huan.

’Huh?’

Zhao Ci was curious. ’Which Prince is that? How have I never seen him before?’

Curiosity aside, proper etiquette could not be ignored.

As the Emperor arrived, everyone present bowed in unison, their voices thundering like a tsunami.

"Long live Your Majesty! May Great Yu last ten thousand years!"

"Long live Your Majesty! May Great Yu last ten thousand years!"

"Long live Your Majesty! May Great Yu last ten thousand years!"

Zhao Huan stroked his beard and laughed heartily. "HAHAHA! Rise, all of you. We are met with three joyous occasions today. The first is this house competition, which proves that Great Yu is brimming with new talent. The second is that my younger brother, King Qin, has made a special trip to Lingge to visit."

’So it’s King Qin.’

Zhao Ci had a moment of realization. ’King Qin, Zhao Dezhu. Old Deng’s own brother. Eighteen years ago, when Old Deng was recuperating on Yingzhou Immortal Island, it was this very King Qin who ruled as regent. When Old Deng returned, he handed all power back and left for Qin Land to govern his own fief.’

’Now that’s a true brother. No wonder Old Deng is grinning from ear to ear.’

The first two were indeed worthy of being called joyous occasions.

"And the third!"

Zhao Huan’s joyful expression deepened as he pulled a young man from behind Zhao Dezhu. "The Heir of Prince Qin will establish his house today, becoming the eighth house in this year’s competition! With such an abundance of talent in Great Yu, how could we ever worry about reclaiming our lost lands?"

’Whoa?’

Zhao Ci nearly choked. ’The Heir of Prince Qin is establishing a house? Then all those unaligned Mansion Officials with points to spend will...’

PFFT!

Zhao Yong couldn’t hold back a laugh. He lowered his voice and said, "Lao Shi! There goes your last hope. All those people came to your mansion begging for a position, and you gave them the cold shoulder. Now that the Heir of Prince Qin has established a house, I’m afraid you’ll be the one they consider beneath them!"

Zhao Ci: "..."

He looked up at Zhao Huan, baffled.

’Seriously!’

’Old Deng.’

’Are you messing with me?’