Goodbye Xue Qinghe!

"The King of Great Ming arrives!"

As the noisy hunting grounds echoed with that shrill, feminine voice, the scene fell into an instant, heavy silence.

Countless people turned their heads toward the source of the sound, their gazes locking onto the man who was slowly, unhurriedly stepping down from a carriage.

Oh, no—perhaps calling him a man was a bit of a stretch.

He was more of a boy.

Xu Nian'an was dressed in a python-embroidered robe. Though not tall, he possessed sharp, sword-like brows and star-bright eyes. His brows were slightly furrowed, carrying an innate, imposing aura of royalty that commanded awe without a word.

Even though his young face still held a hint of baby fat, the title "King of Great Ming" was enough to overshadow any perceived shortcomings in his appearance.

"The... the King of Great Ming!"

"Damn, are you kidding me? He's actually this young?"

"The King of Great Ming... the real man who, on the very first day of his kingdom's founding, flooded the Gulei Kingdom's army of two hundred thousand and annexed them with the speed of a thunderbolt."

"Heh, if that's the only thing you know about him, then I can only say your understanding of the King of Great Ming is far too shallow."

Beneath the banner of a kingdom, a youth in his early teens, dressed in fine silks, kept his eyes fixed on Xu Nian'an.

"A month ago, the Great Ming Kingdom launched a night raid on the Star Shine Duchy, which was backed by the Galloping Wolf Kingdom, and reclaimed their lost territory. Immediately after, in just half a month, they beat the Galloping Wolf Kingdom into a full retreat."

"Right under the nose of the Star Luo Empire, with the support of two hundred thousand troops from Tianxing Province, they launched another night raid on the Galloping Wolf Kingdom. This time, they deployed numerous high-level Spirit Masters, including a Titled Douluo, and used a special type of weapon to breach the capital and occupy the entire territory of the Galloping Wolf Kingdom overnight!"

"The continent has never seen this style of warfare before. It's a strategy that other nations are now scrambling to study and adopt. That thunderous strike, hitting the enemy's vital point the moment they move, has been named: Blitzkrieg!"

The youth's voice under the kingdom's banner was not loud, but it reached the ears of every prince, royal heir, and noble present.

Xu Nian'an was not deaf; being praised so highly made him feel a bit uncomfortable for a moment.

He swept a glance toward the top of that youth's banner.

It was the flag of the Haagen-Dazs Kingdom. It was no wonder their prince was so focused on the Great Ming Kingdom.

Now that the Haagen-Dazs Kingdom and the Great Ming Kingdom shared a border, how could they not be wary of this capable, trouble-making god of slaughter next door?

Bang!

Under the banner of the Star Luo Empire, a boy of nine or ten slammed his palm onto the table.

Tea splashed everywhere.

Palace maids quickly swarmed around him.

A girl in black saw this and immediately stepped forward, grabbing the boy who was on the verge of a rage.

"Weisi... the task His Majesty gave us is to try our best to befriend the King of Great Ming. If you act on impulse and offend him, it's very likely this negotiation will end in failure!"

Hoo... hoo... hoo!

Hearing the girl's words, the First Prince of the Star Luo Empire, Dai Weisi, took a deep breath to steady his mood.

"Don't worry, Zhuyun. I know what I'm doing."

The King of Great Ming's tent was quickly erected.

All sorts of barbecued meats and fine wines were brought out.

"King of Great Ming, this is the premium roast lamb sent by the First Prince from the Imperial Kitchen."

"Court Jade Nectar, century-old peach blossom wine."

"Thousand-year lotus heart soup..."

Just as Xu Nian'an was wondering why Xue Qinghe, his own cousin, hadn't come to see him, a young eunuch approached.

He delivered a variety of delicacies.

"What's this? Your master isn't coming out—is he looking down on his cousin from the countryside of the East Sea?"

Upon hearing Xu Nian'an's words, the young eunuch's body stiffened.

Thud.

The next second, he immediately dropped to his knees.

"N-no, it's not like that... our First Prince has recently..."

Watching the terrified eunuch, Xu Nian'an felt a bit speechless.

Was he really that terrifying?

Or perhaps, was what he said too harsh?

Xu Nian'an was confused.

What Xu Nian'an didn't know was that his self-deprecating joke was, to a prince, an act of provocation.

In a society ruled by royal power, eunuchs and maids were the lowest of the low. Let alone teasing or mocking a prince, even discussing a prince in private behind his back was a capital offense.

Before the other could finish his stammering, Xu Nian'an said expressionlessly.

"Get up. Don't ruin this King's appetite."

Upon hearing Xu Nian's words, the young eunuch scrambled up from the ground immediately.

Thump, thump, thump!

Just then, the sound of footsteps suddenly approached from not far away.

"My eldest brother doesn't have the time lately. If the King of Ming wishes to drink, I would be more than happy to keep you company."

The newcomer wore a long brown robe, his skin a healthy wheat color. He held a wine cup, a slow smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Xu Nian'an did not turn his head, nor did he spare the man a single glance.

He continued to use his dagger to carve off a piece of roasted lamb, lost in his own world.

One minute... two minutes... three minutes...

Click! Click!

The scene was deathly silent. The man remained frozen in place, motionless for a long time.

Slowly, his expression darkened.

The wine cup held in his hands began to tremble slightly—a clear sign that his rage had reached its limit.

Only then did Xu Nian'an leisurely raise his head to look at him.

He picked up his own wine cup and held it three centimeters away from the other's cup.

"Compared to your eldest brother, you are lacking by more than just a little."

Hearing Xu Nian'an's words, the Third Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Luochuan, felt his pupils contract violently.

Xu Nian'an frowned slightly. Holding his cup in one hand, he used his index finger to press down hard on the other's cup, then swung his own cup forward to collide with it.

"Is the etiquette of your Heaven Dou royal family really this poor?"

"Do you have to hold your toast up to the heavens?"

Clang!

Xue Luochuan gritted his teeth and downed the wine in his cup in one gulp.

"Many thanks to the King of Great Ming for the instruction."

Before leaving, the man nearly lost his temper and exploded.

Xu Nian'an smiled, paying him no mind.

He was just a dead man walking.

Afterward, everyone who came to toast Xu Nian'an was met with a cold shoulder.

What were their identities? What was their status?

They didn't even have the qualifications to toast him.

He was a Prince now, of the same generation as their fathers. Furthermore, his Great Ming Kingdom possessed formidable military strength, far surpassing their fathers by more than just a little.

If anyone were to offer a toast, it should be their fathers doing the honors.

Just because someone offered a toast, did Xu Nian'an have to drink it?

After he had his fill of food and drink... past ten o'clock.

"Ahem, ahem, ahem!"

"I am very pleased that everyone has come to participate in the Heaven Dou Empire's annual Tiandou Hunting Festival."

"The competition rules remain the same as in previous years: rankings are based on the age of the prey, and the results will be tallied after dark."

"To mark this grand event, His Majesty has selected several treasures from the national treasury. I hope you will all put forth your best efforts."

Watching Xue Qinghe on the podium, Xu Nian'an felt slightly surprised.

"Hey, cousin!"

Upon hearing Xu Nian'an's voice, Xue Qinghe's body visibly stiffened. He then turned his head and offered Xu Nian'an a gentle smile.

After finishing the announcement of the competition rules, Xue Qinghe took the initiative to approach Xu Nian'an.

"Cousin."

Xu Nian'an looked left and right, noticing that the palace maid Xiao Xue, who usually followed Xue Qinghe, was missing, so he asked with confusion.

"Cousin, why didn't you make arrangements for me last night?"

"We had an agreement. You were supposed to have a talk with Xiao Xue so that this time, you could let me directly..."

"You know what I mean, right?"