Princess—Lantan

Lei Lin laughed and said, "Oh, right, please ensure your chamber of commerce's operations don't cause too much of a stir in Nifeng City. Try to maintain the city's original state as much as possible to facilitate my subsequent experiments."

Hasen patted his chest, guaranteeing that there would be no problems. He promised to turn this project into one exclusively serving the Zi'ao Family, and that if the person in charge of the Nifeng City outpost had any future plans, they would consult with the Zi'ao Family first.

In an instant, the atmosphere at the dinner table became lively, and the maids—each with exquisite features that would be considered goddesses in the eyes of ordinary people—crowded around.

Seeing these delicate maids, Lei Lin felt a surge of agitation, yet he had no intention of making a move on them.

After all, while he could manage to stay away from gambling and drugs, he wasn't the type to lose his composure the moment he saw a beautiful woman.

He had his principles; at the very least, there had to be a foundation of affection!

Otherwise, if he took in every woman he saw, the household would become chaotic as their numbers grew, which would be a disaster.

He was currently in a period of rapid development and didn't want his backyard to catch fire.

"Sigh, arranged marriages are such a hassle, and having insufficient strength is equally annoying. I'll just pick a princess at the upcoming social gathering to stabilize the family's development within the kingdom, and then I'll head to the Chaotic Territory to go into seclusion until I break through to the Saint Realm."

"Otherwise, I fear there will be all sorts of messy social obligations to deal with later!"

The next day, evening.

Lei Lin, who was chatting with a princess at the social gathering, looked at the old butler who had hurried over and asked in confusion, "What happened?"

This was, after all, a social gathering hosted by the royal family. Given the old butler's composure, for him to come here so seriously, something must have gone wrong; otherwise, the old butler would have waited until the gathering was over.

"Master, news has come from the black market. The seller of the Saint Realm Tyrannosaurus Rex blood is demanding that the transaction take place right now at a small town outside the city!"

Lei Lin frowned upon hearing this and said, "Right now..."

"Tsk, the timing they chose... could it be that they know I'm currently attending this social gathering?"

The old butler also frowned and said, "I'm afraid so. To be able to sell Saint Realm Tyrannosaurus Rex blood, the other party must have some strength and should be able to find out that you are attending the gathering, Master."

"They are demanding a transaction at this time, likely to ensure we have no time to prepare, preventing us from being double-crossed. After all, it's a million-gold-coin transaction; one cannot be too careful."

Lei Lin nodded and said, "That's true."

Given his current reputation, while the Saint Realm Tyrannosaurus Rex blood was precious, it wasn't a Saint Realm magic core—it was just a vial of blood. The other party was selling it on the black market simply to make money.

If he really intended to use force to suppress them, the royal family would certainly be willing to help.

By deliberately demanding the transaction at this time, they knew he would be embarrassed to ask the royal family for help after skipping the gathering they had hosted for him.

"Heh, measuring a gentleman's heart with a villain's yardstick. A million gold coins is a lot, but that's all it is. Is it worth me resorting to underhanded tactics?"

Afterward, he intended to go say goodbye to Clyde, but just as he turned, he felt his arm being tugged. It was the princess he found quite likable—Lantan.

"Mr. Lei Lin, forgive my presumption. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I accidentally overheard part of the conversation between you and your butler. Are you planning to leave the gathering now to conduct that transaction?"

Lei Lin's brows twitched as he replied, "Yes, I am. Does Princess Lantan have an opinion on that?"

Although his current strength was only at the seventh level, his title as the continent's number one genius wasn't just for show; he was certain the Radiant Church was already watching him.

In such a situation, even King Clyde would only speak to him as an equal. A mere princess had no business interfering in his decisions, even if he did find her likable—she wasn't his wife, after all.

Lantan's beautiful eyes shimmered with a smile as she said, "That's not it. It's just that I would like to see the Saint Realm Tyrannosaurus Rex blood for myself. Would you mind if I accompanied you?"

Lei Lin was stunned for a moment, then looked at Lantan more closely. "Well, if King Clyde agrees, I don't mind taking Princess Lantan along."

After leaving the gathering, Lei Lin's brows furrowed slightly. Given Clyde's temperament, he had expected the King not to stop him from leaving, even if he took the princess with him.

In fact, the King might even be happy that he was taking a princess along.

But...

"Why do I feel like Clyde's expression was a bit off? Whatever, forget it. Just a stepping stone for a protagonist; as long as they don't cause me trouble, it's fine!"

He then looked at Princess Lantan beside him and asked, "Princess Lantan, what level of warrior are you?"

Lantan smiled and said, "I am a sixth-level warrior!"

Lei Lin was surprised. "Sixth level!?"

He couldn't help but be surprised. As a princess of the kingdom, she had lived a life of luxury since childhood. Even if she practiced as a warrior, it was usually just to maintain her figure.

Even with various resources to assist her, someone of her age would typically only be at the third or fourth level. To reach the sixth level, she should have been cultivated as a core asset of the royal family; why would she be used for a social...

Well, thinking of his own title as the greatest in history, he calmed down. He was worth Clyde sacrificing such a princess, and only such a princess was worthy of him.

Chatting and laughing, the two soon arrived at the transaction location specified by the seller. But for some reason, looking at the three men in black before him, Lei Lin felt an involuntary sense of alertness.

Frowning, he decided to complete the transaction quickly and said directly, "Where is the dragon blood? I want to inspect the goods!"

The leader of the men in black looked Lei Lin over and said, "Mr. Lei Lin, that is Saint Realm Tyrannosaurus Rex blood. Such a precious item—how could I possibly carry it on me?"

As he spoke, he threw out a piece of black cloth and said, "Blindfold yourself, and I will take you to where the dragon blood is hidden."

Taking the black cloth, Lei Lin's frown deepened instantly. Something is wrong. They... they aren't here to trade dragon blood at all.

Clutching the cloth, Lei Lin said, "Let's make a deal. Let my companion and my butler leave, and I will go with you!"

Hearing this, the old butler, who was experienced and also sensed that something was wrong, immediately realized what was happening and roared, "Who are you people!"

As he spoke, crimson battle aura manifested on his body, and he was ready to strike at any moment.

However, Lei Lin pressed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Butler Carl, calm down. Anger won't solve the problem!"

Watching Lei Lin, who had realized something was wrong yet remained extremely calm, the leader of the men in black said, "Tsk tsk, clever. As expected of the greatest genius in the history of the continent!"

"You've guessed our identities!"