Lin Yao glanced at the pages the shopkeeper pointed out, which Lin Xueli had recommended. He chose a subdued formal outfit in a shade closer to black; all the designs featured relatively simple patterns.
Lin Yao looked through a few pages, then began flipping through the book again. The shopkeeper had spent years learning to read people, so he naturally understood that Lin Yao wasn't satisfied with those styles. He promptly added, "You can choose the color of the patterns yourself. These are just examples of the general designs."
Lin Yao nodded, then flipped back to the pages Lin Xueli had recommended. He pointed to a black robe embroidered with cloud patterns and said, "Change these clouds to gold thread. I'll take this one."
The shopkeeper nodded and told an attendant to take Lin Yao to get measured.
After the attendant finished taking his measurements, Lin Yao placed the deposit Lin Xueli had given him on the shopkeeper's counter. The shopkeeper opened the tube and took a look, then pinched out five Gold Soul Coins and pressed them into Lin Yao's hand. Beaming, he said, "Young Master Lin, your departure will surely be a glorious one. I hope you'll look after my little shop in the future."
There had only been fifteen or sixteen Gold Soul Coins in the tube, and the shopkeeper had just handed over a third of them. Lin Yao shrugged and replied, "Looking after your business is no problem. I'm off."
With that, Lin Yao turned and left. As he got into the carriage, he saw a crowd gathered not far away through the window, most of them women. Curious, he asked the driver, "What's happening up ahead?"
The driver glanced over, then replied, "People from the Xuanming Sect are here recruiting women for their Martial Soul Awakening ritual."
Lin Yao raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are people from the Xuanming Sect recruiting in Douling City?"
The driver smiled and said, "More precisely, they're recruiting in nearly every city across the Dou Ling Empire. They say the ritual has a huge impact on women's Martial Souls and cultivation. Families of any means generally won't let their daughters take part, so they have to gather people from the cities."
Lin Yao nodded and looked into the distance. The driver deliberately slowed the carriage and asked, "Young Master, would you like to take a look?"
Lin Yao's gaze had already swept across the crowd, but he hadn't spotted anyone with yellow hair. He lowered the curtain and said, "I can't save everyone right now. Better not to try."
The driver nodded, then continued toward Lin Mansion with Lin Yao.
The little incident left no ripples in Lin Yao's heart. When he returned to the mansion, he continued cultivating his Soul Power according to the method that came with Dragon Transformation.
Early the next morning, the owner of the cloth shop sent over the formal outfit Lin Yao had ordered. Lin Xueli was also pleased with it, and arranged for a servant to help Lin Yao change. Lin Yao had a feeling Lin Xueli really was keeping some good news from him.
Otherwise, if it were simply a matter of trying on clothes for an old lady's birthday banquet, Lin Xueli's enthusiasm seemed a little too great.
For ordinary officials, a royal birthday banquet counted as a tremendous imperial favor.
But for a veteran courtier like Lin Xueli, who had served two dynasties, it wasn't anything particularly rare.
That afternoon, Lin Xueli took Lin Yao to the Douling Imperial Palace.
The Douling Imperial Palace was almost an exact replica of the Tiandou Imperial Palace of Ten Thousand Years Ago. But with the country's weakness and its territory reduced, some parts felt cramped and constricted.
Looking at the courtyard walls, each layer made of poorer materials than the last, Lin Yao understood what it meant for something to be gilded on the outside and rotten within.
Still, the birthday banquet was quite impressive. It was the royal family, after all; even a starving camel was bigger than a horse. The dishes were extravagant enough to be beyond the ordinary person's wildest dreams.
When Lin Xueli led Lin Yao into the main hall, the nobles of the Dou Ling Empire all turned their eyes toward him in unison.
Lin Yao wasn't intimidated. He simply followed Lin Xueli to his seat in silence, wondering what the Dou Ling Empire's royal family meant by inviting him to an event of such a royal nature.
The answer to that mystery came when the birthday banquet officially began.
After the middle-aged Douling Emperor personally helped the Empress Dowager into her seat of honor, he didn't sit down immediately. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Lin Yao.
"Lin Yao, son of Lin Xueli, possesses exceptional talent. His Martial Soul Awakening was accompanied by extraordinary phenomena, which greatly pleased me. Now that I see him for myself, he is indeed a man of remarkable bearing, with the makings of a leader who can restore the Dou Ling Empire to its former glory. I hereby enfeoff Lin Yao as a prince and grant him the title Xuelin."
Lin Yao paused, then raised his eyes to look at the Douling Emperor seated in the place of honor.
Everything fell into place at once. So this was their way of winning him over and tying him to the Dou Ling Empire's chariot.
On second thought, it made sense. If he had entered Shrek Academy before Huo Feng, then after graduating from Shrek Academy, it would have been easy for him to cut ties with the Dou Ling Empire.
The Douling Emperor wasn't as benighted as Lin Yao had imagined. At least he knew not to let a talented person slip away so easily.
At Lin Xueli's prompting, Lin Yao stood and thanked the Douling Emperor in a formal, measured manner. Then, at the emperor's command, the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet officially began...
After the banquet ended and Lin Yao returned to Lin Mansion, he turned to Lin Xueli and asked, "Father, did you know this was going to happen all along?"
Lin Xueli nodded, then asked, "Do you think being made a prince is a bad thing, Yao'er?"
Lin Yao narrowed his eyes. He'd nearly blurted out, Do you think our Dou Ling Empire is some great kingdom? Whether being a prince in a place like this will bring fortune or disaster is anyone's guess.
But after thinking it over for a moment, he held his tongue.
His cheap father had devoted his whole life to the Dou Ling Empire. Insulting it to his face would only anger the old man, and that wouldn't do Lin Yao any good.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Yao said, "Father, I'd like to travel for a while after some time has passed and see how things are in the other countries on the Douluo Continent. What do you think?"
At that, Lin Xueli furrowed his brows and studied Lin Yao. "Travel? How old are you? Going out to travel at your age will only put you in danger. At the very least, wait until you've reached the second ring."
Over the following months, Lin Yao attended some of the handover ceremonies that came with being enfeoffed as a prince.
In truth, the princehood the Douling Emperor had given Lin Yao was just like the Great Sage Equal to Heaven bestowed upon the Monkey King: an empty title, with no power or benefits attached.
By the time the next year rolled around, Lin Yao had reached the second-ring level...
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