A Prodigy's Bearing, With Hope of Becoming a Martial Emperor!

A Prodigy's Bearing, With Hope of Becoming a Martial Emperor! Twenty years old.

The side hall fell utterly silent.

The Sixth Ancestor sat in his seat, setting down his wine cup and picking it up again, over and over.

His mind was still buzzing.

No one present understood better than he did what it meant to be at Martial Saint Peak at the age of twenty.

Ever since the great battle of ancient times, tens of thousands of years ago, the Human Race had emerged victorious, but at a terrible cost.

Many Martial Emperor powerhouses had fallen.

The few remaining Martial Emperors had also suffered grievous injuries and chosen to sacrifice themselves. They had paid the price of body and soul perishing, merging their flesh and spirits with the world to strengthen the barrier sealing the demons.

After that, the laws of the world seemed to have undergone some irreversible change.

For tens of thousands of years, not a single Martial Saint on the Heavenly Martial Continent had managed to cross that final threshold and step into the Martial Emperor realm.

No matter how astonishingly talented they were or how many resources they consumed, they all ultimately stalled at Martial Saint Peak, unable to advance a single step.

The Martial Emperor realm had become a distant memory, one that existed only in ancient texts and legends.

Yet the young man before them had reached Martial Saint Peak at the age of twenty.

Twenty years old.

Not two hundred, not three hundred.

Twenty.

That meant he had time to spare, potential to spare, and endless possibilities ahead of him.

The Sixth Ancestor's hand trembled slightly.

He suddenly realized he had completely overlooked a question.

Age.

Until now, he had only known that Evergreen Saint Venerable was at Martial Saint Peak. He had instinctively assumed that even if the man wasn't a thousand-year-old monster, he must at least be a several-hundred-year-old powerhouse of the older generation.

He had never considered the man's age.

But now he knew: Evergreen Saint Venerable was only twenty.

What did it mean to be at Martial Saint Peak at twenty?

It meant his martial path had only just begun!

It meant he had all the time and potential he needed to challenge the realm no one had reached for tens of thousands of years!

As long as Evergreen Saint Venerable didn't meet an untimely end, he might very well break through the shackles that had endured for tens of thousands of years.

He could become the person with the best chance in nearly ten thousand years of bringing the Martial Emperor realm back to the Heavenly Martial Continent!

Perhaps... he could even put an end to this ever-worsening demon calamity!

The more the Sixth Ancestor thought about it, the more excited he became. He no longer looked at Lin Changqing as an Attendant.

He was looking at a future Martial Emperor.

An unparalleled prodigy who could completely change the balance of power across the Heavenly Martial Continent!

Su Wanqing, sitting nearby, hadn't thought as far ahead as the Sixth Ancestor.

Right now, she only knew one thing: Evergreen Saint Venerable was twenty years old.

Just two years older than her.

He wasn't a monster several hundred years old, nor some thousand-year-old demon.

He was a genuine young man.

Su Wanqing's cheeks turned crimson in an instant.

She remembered sobbing her eyes out in her bedchamber last night. She remembered calling him "old monster," "old man," and "old demon" all night long.

Thinking about it now... her face burned.

He was only twenty.

A twenty-year-old at Martial Saint Peak.

The youngest prodigy in the history of the Heavenly Martial Continent, the most monstrously talented existence ever.

Forget the Great Yu Dynasty—even in the ancient era, tens of thousands of years ago, when powerhouses had abounded, there probably hadn't been anyone who had reached Martial Saint Peak at twenty.

The major powers across the Heavenly Martial Continent would be scrambling to marry their daughters to a peerless prodigy like him.

And she had actually looked down on him.

Thinking about it now, she had been blind.

If she really could marry Evergreen Saint Venerable, it wouldn't be him marrying up into the imperial family. She would be the one marrying up!

The more Su Wanqing thought about it, the faster her heart raced. She clasped her hands together so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

She sneaked a glance at Lin Changqing, then quickly lowered her head again.

The tips of her ears were scarlet.

Looking at the silent crowd filling the hall, Lin Changqing set down his wine cup with some helplessness.

He really hadn't meant to show off.

They'd asked, so he'd answered casually. Who knew they'd react so strongly?

"Ahem."

Lin Changqing cleared his throat, breaking the silence.

"There's no need to make such a fuss, everyone. Drink your wine and enjoy your food."

He lifted his cup and raised it toward the others.

"Although I may be a little young, surely I haven't put you all off your meal?"

The Sixth Ancestor was the first to recover. He took a deep breath, suppressing his shock.

He picked up his cup, a smile returning to his face.

"Saint Venerable is right. Esteemed colleagues, let us continue the banquet!"

Only then did the ministers manage to recover from their shock. They raised their cups and returned the toast one after another.

But the atmosphere had clearly changed.

Before, the ministers had looked at Lin Changqing with reverence.

Now, they looked at him as if he were a legendary figure who had stepped straight out of an ancient text.

A few elderly ministers gathered together and whispered.

"A twenty-year-old at Martial Saint Peak... I've lived nearly two hundred years and never even heard of such a thing. Forget the present day—even combing through the records of the ancient era, I've never seen a monster like this."

"Exactly. I nearly swallowed my wine cup just now."

"Monster doesn't begin to cover it. He's a freak of nature."

"Shh! Keep your voices down... what if the Saint Venerable hears you?"

Lin Changqing found their whispers rather exasperating. With his Martial Saint cultivation, there was hardly any difference between their murmuring and speaking right into his ear.

Su Wanqing, however, didn't care in the slightest.

She picked up her wine cup again and walked over to Lin Changqing with light steps.

Her attitude this time was completely different from before.

She'd been forced to come by Father Emperor earlier, unwilling every step of the way.

Now she came of her own accord.

A sweet smile played on her lips, and her eyes sparkled.

"Saint Venerable~ Wanqing would like to offer you another cup."

Her voice was more than a shade sweeter than before.

Lin Changqing picked up his cup and clinked it against hers. "You're too kind, Princess."

After finishing her wine, Su Wanqing didn't hurry to leave.

She stood beside Lin Changqing's low table, taking the initiative to pour his wine and serve him food.

As she poured, she said, "Saint Venerable, this Dragon Whisker Fish is the Imperial Kitchen's signature dish. It's made with a seventh-tier Spirit Fish, and the meat is incredibly tender. Please try some."

"And this Hundred Flower Brew is made from the nectar of more than a hundred Spirit Flowers. It's sweet and refreshing, and it goes wonderfully with wine."

"Oh, right, Saint Venerable. I've heard all about your deeds slaying demons in Green Province. You killed an Eighth-tier Demon Emperor with a single sword strike, then wiped out tens of thousands of demons with a snap of your fingers. That was incredible!"

Her voice was clear and lovely, her smile bright and captivating.

She was like a completely different person from the reluctant girl she'd been a moment ago.

Su Gan sat in the seat of honor, watching his daughter with deep satisfaction.

It seemed his daughter had come around.

Good.

Wonderful, in fact.

Su Gan held his wine cup, his heart filled with emotion.

He'd been worried that his daughter would keep throwing a tantrum, but it seemed he no longer needed to worry.

After all, she was an unmarried young woman. Once she learned he wasn't an old monster, her attitude had changed in an instant.

And, to be honest, even he, as her Father Emperor, felt honored that she could marry such a peerless prodigy.

The banquet continued amid a subtle shift in the atmosphere.

The ministers were no longer as relaxed as before. Each and every one of them regarded Lin Changqing with a hard-to-describe reverence.

Strength alone wasn't frightening. What was frightening was being young.

Youth meant boundless potential and a future without limits.

Someone like him was not to be offended under any circumstances; if there was a chance to befriend him, they had to seize it!

As time passed, the banquet gradually drew to a close.

Su Gan set down his wine cup and pretended to be too drunk to continue. He said to Su Wanqing, "Wanqing, I remember the road back to the palace passes right by Prince Wu'an Mansion. See Evergreen Saint Venerable off for me, and let him get familiar with the route."

Su Wanqing was delighted. She hurriedly nodded.

"Yes, Father Emperor!"

Lin Changqing and Su Wanqing climbed aboard the Dragon Carriage together. Under the Imperial Guard's protection, it rolled slowly out of the Imperial Palace.

Inside the carriage, Su Wanqing sat opposite Lin Changqing, both hands placed properly on her knees.

But she never took her eyes off him.

No one could tell what she was thinking. A faint blush kept rising on her cheeks.

About half an hour later, the Dragon Carriage stopped in front of a grand and imposing mansion.

The vermilion gates stood a full three zhang high, and a huge plaque of golden-threaded nanmu hung above them.

Four grand characters were carved across it in bold, flowing strokes: "Prince Wu'an Mansion." Though the title hadn't yet been officially bestowed, it was already a certainty.

The calligraphy was vigorous and powerful, clearly the work of a renowned master.

The steps in front of the mansion were already crowded with people.

An old steward with white hair led more than a hundred servants as they waited respectfully.

The male servants wore matching blue robes, while the maids were dressed in elegant, pale-green skirts.

The moment they saw the Dragon Carriage stop, they all knelt in unison.

"We welcome Prince Wu'an home!"

Their voices rang out together, echoing along the entire length of Vermilion Bird Street.

Lin Changqing and Su Wanqing stepped out of the Dragon Carriage.

He looked at the luxurious mansion before him, and a jolt went through him.

Vermilion lacquered gates, white jade steps, gilded copper studs.

Two jade Qilin statues stood before the entrance, lifelike in every detail.

Through the open gates, he could see pavilions and towers arranged in pleasing disorder, with rock gardens and winding streams tucked along secluded paths.

The place was almost as grand as the Imperial Palace.

By comparison, the rented room he'd lived in before transmigrating was practically a beggar's hovel.

He marveled inwardly, though his expression remained as calm as ever.

"Everyone, rise."

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

The old steward rose first, keeping his head respectfully bowed.

"This old servant's surname is Liu. His Majesty personally appointed me last night to manage the household for Your Highness. There are one hundred and thirty servants in the mansion: sixty male servants, sixty maids, and ten imperial chefs His Majesty specially sent over. All are at Your Highness's disposal."

"Whatever Your Highness needs, simply give this old servant your orders."

Su Wanqing added from the side, "Saint Venerable, Father Emperor had people hurriedly prepare this residence last night."

"It used to be the former Regent's Mansion. It stood empty for decades, but its foundations are good, and a little repair was all it needed to be fit for living. All the furnishings are new. Please see whether they suit your taste."

Lin Changqing nodded. He really had nothing to complain about with the arrangements.

Su Wanqing led him through the gates.

They crossed the front courtyard and went around the screen wall. The first thing that came into view was several dozen large chests, neatly lined up in the open space in front of the main hall.

Each chest stood half a person tall. They were made of fine wood that gleamed faintly.

Their lids stood open, revealing Top-grade Spirit Crystals stacked in neat rows.

Rich spiritual energy spilled out of the chests, making the air throughout the front courtyard feel sweeter.

"Saint Venerable, these are the one million five hundred thousand Top-grade Spirit Crystals Great-Granduncle Sixth promised you, your first year's tribute."

Su Wanqing explained, "Father Emperor said you should count them first. If they're not enough, he can add more at any time."

Lin Changqing glanced over them. With the strength of his spiritual sense, he counted them all in an instant.

Not one too many or too few—exactly one million five hundred thousand.

He smiled. "No need to count. I trust you."

Then he waved a hand, and dozens of chests, along with all the Spirit Crystals inside them, vanished.

He had stored them all in his Infinite Storage Space.

Su Wanqing watched, her eyes full of admiration.

Was this the power of a Martial Saint Peak? With just a thought, he could put away so many things.

Amazing.

She showed Lin Changqing around the estate, taking him to all the main places.

The main hall, side hall, study, Cultivation Room, Alchemy Room, back garden, hot spring pool...

It took them half a shichen to tour the estate, which covered a hundred mu.

Lin Changqing was very pleased with his new home.

Seeing the satisfaction on Lin Changqing's face, Su Wanqing was happy too.

But she knew she couldn't stay for long. He had only just arrived at his new home, and naturally needed time to settle in.

Reluctantly, she stood at the estate gates and bowed to Lin Changqing.

"Saint Venerable, I'll take my leave now."

"Please get some rest. If you need anything, you can send someone to the palace to find me at any time."

Lin Changqing nodded and casually replied,

"All right. Come by whenever you have time."

He was only being polite.

But Su Wanqing's eyes lit up at once.

"Really? Then I'll come tomorrow!"

As soon as she said it, she realized she'd gotten too excited, and her face flushed all the way to the roots of her neck.

She hurriedly turned and jogged onto the Dragon Carriage.

The Dragon Carriage slowly pulled away. Su Wanqing leaned out of the window and looked back at Lin Changqing once more.

Then she drew back into the carriage, her heart pounding.