Lin Changqing waved a hand.
"There's nothing I need for now. I have enough cultivation resources, and the mansion already has plenty of staff."
He set down his teacup and looked at Su Gan and the Sixth Ancestor.
"I've gotten a general understanding of the situation His Majesty and the Sixth Ancestor mentioned. The demonic threat can't be dealt with overnight, but there's no need to worry too much. When the soldiers come, we'll meet them; when the water comes, we'll hold it back with earth."
"If I'm truly needed, I won't stand by and do nothing."
Su Gan and the Sixth Ancestor exchanged a glance. Each saw a hint of relief in the other's eyes.
With those words, all their hard work over the past few days had paid off.
The three chatted for a while longer. Once Lin Changqing had learned everything he needed to know, he rose to take his leave.
Su Gan hurriedly stood as well and said with a smile, "I'll have Wanqing see you off, Saint Venerable."
"Oh, and I'll have someone deliver the congratulatory gifts from the various sects and factions today to Prince Wu'an Mansion."
Lin Changqing glanced at Su Gan.
Over the past few days, he had clearly sensed that His Majesty seemed intent on bringing him and Princess Yunshu together.
Every time they met, the emperor had the princess see him off—one day, then the next—creating chances for them to spend time together.
He merely smiled and didn't refuse.
In his previous life, he'd been an ordinary office worker who had never even had a girlfriend.
Now that he had crossed into this ancient, high-martial world and gained such invincible cultivation, he naturally intended to enjoy life.
Besides,
Princess Yunshu was indeed breathtakingly beautiful, and she had a good personality.
He had no reason to refuse.
Before long, Su Wanqing entered the Imperial Study with light steps.
She had changed into a pale green palace dress, which made her look livelier than the pale purple gown she had worn at the midday banquet.
Her eyes lit up when she saw Lin Changqing, and she gave him a proper curtsy.
"Wanqing greets the Saint Venerable."
Lin Changqing nodded.
The two left the Imperial Study together and rode out of the Imperial Palace in the carriage arranged by the emperor.
A dozen carriages laden with congratulatory gifts followed behind, making their way in a grand procession toward Prince Wu'an Mansion.
At the entrance to the Imperial Study, Su Gan and the Sixth Ancestor stood shoulder to shoulder, watching the carriage disappear into the distance.
"Sixth Ancestor, do you think Wanqing can win over Saint Venerable Changqing?"
Su Gan asked quietly, his voice carrying a hint of hope and apprehension.
The Sixth Ancestor stroked his beard and chuckled.
"Your Majesty needn't worry too much."
"Wanqing is a top-notch beauty with a wonderful temperament. You saw her at the midday banquet just now—her attitude toward Saint Venerable Changqing was completely different from that night."
"If she's willing, there's a chance."
Su Gan nodded, though his brow had not quite unfurrowed.
"I'm not worried about Wanqing. I'm worried that Saint Venerable Changqing's thoughts are hard to read."
"Such an unparalleled prodigy... His standards are surely extraordinarily high. He might not take a liking to Wanqing."
"That's why we need Wanqing to spend more time with him."
The Sixth Ancestor pondered for a moment, then continued.
"But the girl grew up in the palace. She's skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but she probably has little experience with matters between men and women. Your Majesty could have one of the palace matrons who knows all about such things teach her."
"Some things... need someone to give her a little guidance."
Su Gan nodded in deep agreement.
"The Sixth Ancestor is right. I'll have Nanny Wang teach Wanqing. She's been in the palace for forty years and has the most experience with this sort of thing."
After chatting a little longer, the two turned and went back into the Imperial Study.
Inside the carriage,
Su Wanqing sat across from Lin Changqing, propping her chin up with both hands. A sweet smile played on her face as she chattered without pause.
"Saint Venerable, did you know? The Capital City has been so lively these past few days. Everyone's talking about your upcoming investiture, and the storytellers in the teahouses are even making up tales about you!"
"And there's more! The old man selling candied hawthorns on Vermilion Bird Street made a new kind called Saint Venerable Changqing Candied Hawthorns. He uses Spirit Fruit, and they cost one tael of silver each. Even so, they're flying off the shelves!"
"Oh, right! Yesterday, I went to Treasure Pavilion and saw they'd gotten a new shipment. There was an ancient sword in it, supposedly dug out of some ancient ruin. The shopkeeper insisted it was fated to belong to you and wanted to give it to you as a congratulatory gift."
"Then I asked around and found out the sword was just a fake. The shopkeeper had been swindled..."
She started laughing before she had even finished telling the funny part. Her clear laughter echoed through the carriage.
As Lin Changqing listened to her little tales of everyday life, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
These past few days, he had either been slaying demons or hurrying from place to place, dealing only with serious matters.
It was a relief to hear the occasional bit of street gossip.
"What happened next?"
"The shopkeeper was so mad his whiskers curled. He chased that swindler for three whole streets, but he didn't catch him."
Su Wanqing laughed even harder.
The half-hour journey passed in the blink of an eye.
The carriage stopped outside Prince Wu'an Mansion, and the guards carried all the congratulatory gifts from the dozen carriages inside.
Su Wanqing stood at the entrance, not leaving right away.
She hesitated, twisting the hem of her skirt between her fingers as her cheeks flushed faintly.
"Saint Venerable, um... the Capital City's annual Flower Deity Festival is in three days."
"Every year on this day, the people of the Capital City go flower-viewing in the Imperial Garden and other places around the city. They set off lanterns to pray for blessings. It's very lively."
She paused, sneaking a glance at Lin Changqing before quickly lowering her head again.
"Every year, the imperial family sends a member out of the palace to celebrate with the people. This year, Father Emperor saved that opportunity for me."
"I heard they're making this year's Flower Deity Festival bigger than ever. There'll even be a fleet of flower-lantern boats on Xuanwu Lake."
"Um... will you be free then, Saint Venerable? If you are, would you like to go and have a look together?"
Lin Changqing looked at her nervous expression, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
"We'll see when the time comes. If nothing comes up, I can go for a stroll."
Su Wanqing's eyes lit up at once.
Lin Changqing hadn't agreed outright, but he hadn't refused, either.
That meant there was a chance!
She quickly nodded. "Then Wanqing will wait to hear from you, Saint Venerable!"
Then, reluctantly, she gave him a curtsy and climbed back into the carriage.
As it slowly pulled away, she leaned out the window and waved to Lin Changqing, smiling so brightly her eyes curved like crescent moons.
Lin Changqing watched the carriage disappear into the distance, then turned and walked into the mansion.
All the gifts had been moved into the front hall. Boxes of every size filled half the room.
Lin Changqing glanced over them, and with a single thought, stored them all in his Infinite Storage Space.
The spirit medicines from the Myriad Laws Sect, the Meteorite Iron from the Heavenly Sword Sect, the Pills from Medicine God Valley, and all kinds of Heavenly Treasures from the various second-rate factions.
Whether he'd ever use them was another matter, but they took up no space in his storage and wouldn't "spoil." There was always a use for things kept in reserve.
Over the next two days, Lin Changqing enjoyed a rare stretch of leisure.
During the day, he practiced the Heavenly Saint Profound Art and the Primordial Indestructible Golden Body in the mansion, occasionally stopping by the imperial Scripture Library to leaf through ancient texts.
Su Wanqing came by every day.
Sometimes she brought freshly made pastries from the Imperial Kitchen; sometimes she brought all sorts of odd little trinkets. Every time, she stayed for less than half an hour before taking her leave.
Lin Changqing didn't find it annoying.
Having a lively, adorable girl chattering away nearby brought a little life to the vast mansion.
News of the investiture ceremony also spread across the Great Yu Dynasty at astonishing speed.
Official notices were posted at the city gates of every province and commandery.
The Demon Suppressing Division's Flying Eagle messengers carried the news to every branch across the Fourteen Provinces and one hundred and twenty-six commanderies.
Storytellers in the teahouses turned Saint Venerable Changqing's deeds into tall tales, repeating them show after show.
"Now, as for Saint Venerable Changqing, he slew an Eighth-tier Demon Emperor with a single sword strike and wiped out a demonic army of tens of thousands with a snap of his fingers! Guess what? He's only twenty years old!"
"Twenty? You're making that up, storyteller!"
"Making it up? It's written right there in the official notice! That's an imperial decree. How could it be fake?"
"Good heavens... A twenty-year-old Martial Saint Peak? Is he even human?"
In just two short days,
the names Saint Venerable Changqing and Lin Changqing, along with the legendary tale of his reaching Martial Saint Peak at twenty, had spread across the entire Great Yu Dynasty.
When the people of Green Province heard the news, they celebrated with gongs and drums.
"I told you Saint Venerable looked young! I saw him enter the city with my own eyes. I thought he was some young lord from a noble family! Who'd have guessed he was only twenty?"
"Bullshit! At the time, you said Saint Venerable was at least a thousand years old and that he maintained his youthful appearance with his cultivation!"
"When did I ever say that? You must be remembering it wrong!"
When Green Province Inspector Ma Yuanzhong heard the news, he drank three cups at home in a row.
"Master, what's made you so happy?"
"Our Green Province has produced a saint! Saint Venerable Changqing has been made Prince Wu'an! Chengye, remember this: Prince Wu'an saved your life. Once your cultivation bears fruit, you must repay his kindness!"
"Yes, Father!"
In the imperial palace in the Capital City,
Emperor Su Gan listened to the reports coming in from every region, unable to hide the smile on his face.
"How is Wanqing's preparation going?"
"Your Majesty, Nanny Wang has been teaching the princess these past few days. The princess is taking her lessons seriously. She said she would make sure the Saint Venerable sees her in a new light on the day of the Flower Deity Festival."
"Good. Tell her I'll be waiting for good news."
On the evening of the third day,
Lin Changqing had just finished dinner and was weighing whether to visit the Scripture Library for a few more ancient texts or take a stroll around the Capital City to walk off his meal.
A system notification suddenly rang in his mind.
["Ding! Random task completed: Fame Across the Great Yu Dynasty. The host's reputation has resounded throughout the entire Great Yu Dynasty (1/1)."]
["Task reward: Ninth-tier Supreme Grade Supreme Defensive Treasure—the Heavenly Gang Saint Armor."]
["Would the host like to claim it now?"]
Lin Changqing was taken aback for a moment, then delight appeared on his face.
It's finally here!
He had waited for several days, and the task was finally complete.
"Claim it."
As soon as he spoke, an ancient-looking silver ring appeared out of nowhere in his Infinite Storage Space.
The ring was silver all over, its surface engraved with fine Spiritual Runes. A faint light seemed to flow through them.
With a thought, Lin Changqing took the ring out of his storage and put it on the index finger of his left hand.
It fit snugly against his skin, neither too tight nor too loose.
This was the Heavenly Gang Saint Armor's initial form.
He channeled a wisp of Spiritual Power into it. At his thought, the ring let out a soft hum.
Silver light welled out of the ring and spread up his finger, covering his entire hand in an instant.
Then it flowed over his forearm, upper arm, shoulder, and chest, coursing across his body as if alive.
Wherever it passed, exquisitely crafted armor condensed out of thin air.
The armor was silver all over. Each scale-thin plate was as light as a cicada's wing, yet radiated an indestructible solidity.
Faint purple-gold light shone through the gaps between the plates. It was an unusual phenomenon caused by the Heavenly Gang Saint Armor resonating of its own accord with the techniques inside him.
The helmet covered only his forehead and the sides of his face, leaving his eyes and chin exposed.
The armor fit so comfortably that it felt like a second skin, without the slightest hint of heaviness.
Lin Changqing rolled his arms and clenched his fists.
His movements were nimble and natural, without the slightest stiffness.
Feeling the boost to his defenses from the Heavenly Gang Saint Armor, he marveled to himself.
It completely negated attacks below the Martial Saint realm, and could easily withstand attacks at Martial Saint Peak.
Combined with the physical defense of the Primordial Indestructible Golden Body and the spiritual Golden Bell Shield, even if he stood still and took the full force of a Martial Saint Peak's attack, it probably wouldn't break through his defenses.
"Not bad. It really lives up to its name as a Ninth-tier Supreme Grade Supreme Defensive Treasure."
Lin Changqing nodded in satisfaction.
With another thought, the armor instantly dissolved into countless points of light and disappeared into the air.
It hadn't vanished.
It had transformed into an invisible Saintly Protective Aura.
It couldn't be seen with the naked eye, but its defensive power remained undiminished.
Lin Changqing looked down at his clothes. He was still wearing an ordinary black robe.
No one would ever guess that beneath this seemingly ordinary robe lay the Heavenly Martial Continent's most powerful defensive treasure.
In high spirits, he decided to go for a stroll around the Capital City.
Since crossing over, he hadn't really had a chance to see the Great Yu Dynasty's most prosperous city.
The last time he had entered the city, he'd been riding in the Dragon Carriage and had seen only the dense crowds lining the streets.
He had nothing to do tonight, so it was the perfect time to go out and look around.
Lin Changqing had just left his room and hadn't yet reached the mansion gate when the sharp-eyed Uncle Liu spotted him.
He hurried over at a jog.
"Is Your Highness going out? This old servant will have someone prepare a sedan chair and send a few guards—"
"No need."
Lin Changqing waved his hand.
"I'm just going for a casual stroll. There's no need to make a fuss."
Uncle Liu wanted to say more, but then he remembered that his prince was at the Martial Saint Peak, and there was probably no one in the entire Capital City who could hurt him.
He opened his mouth, then swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.
"Then take care, Your Highness. Come back early."
Lin Changqing left Prince Wu'an Mansion and walked north along Vermilion Bird Street.
Night had just fallen, and the lanterns were beginning to glow.
The Capital City had no curfew; its nightlife was just getting started.
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