Second Master Jin

At that moment, the way Second Master Jin looked at Fang Yunhua had changed completely.

Although he had already learned that Fang Yunhua possessed the ability to turn Mount Hua's decline into prosperity, he now admitted that the young man's vision and insight had still astonished him.

Those who lived in the martial world were often the most likely to imprison themselves within that cage. The grandest, loudest slogan those ambitious schemers could shout was merely to unite the martial world. Yet the young man before him had truly recognized that the martial world could never escape the control of that towering behemoth.

"So that's why you want me to build a bridge between you and His Highness the An Prince?"

"Because you're the best person to do this. It won't arouse His Majesty's suspicions. After all, your position exists precisely to implement reforms like these, and this evolution will also benefit the court's rule."

There was something else Fang Yunhua left unsaid: this would also make it easier for the court to monitor developments in the martial world, allowing it to intervene and exert deeper influence at any time without provoking a fierce backlash, until that thick barrier was finally shattered altogether.

In truth, this was already the tide of the times.

There was a very clear example: the distribution of power in The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng. As it happened, the chronology of each of Gu Long's novels could be traced.

What he could confirm now was that The Legend of Chu Liuxiang appeared to take place in the same era as The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng. Yet Fang Yunhua was quite certain that there was no Lu Xiaofeng with four eyebrows in the martial world.

And with his own acquisition of the Mingyu Skill from the White Jade Beauty as a concrete example, he could draw one conclusion: some of the background stories and courses of development in Gu Long's other novels could serve as extremely important references.

Now, after seeing Second Master Jin's reaction, he was certain he had been right to approach him. His decision to tie Mount Hua to the An Prince had put him ahead of the tide as well.

The major martial sects would likely each become aligned with one of the court's factions in the future. Having seized the initiative, Mount Hua would undoubtedly reap the greatest benefits.

"I'll build this bridge for you. Of course, I'll also report certain details about you and Mount Hua to His Majesty."

After Second Master Jin gave his affirmative answer, Fang Yunhua, delighted, offered him a solemn bow.

"Then I'm sorry for the trouble, Second Master Jin."

After some thought, Second Master Jin offered Fang Yunhua a few more words of caution.

"You think deeply, and you certainly have the ability to deduce most of what's going on. Unless something unexpected happens, His Highness the An Prince will agree as well. But that doesn't mean he'll think highly of you from the outset. He'll choose you only because Mount Hua was the first to raise its head."

"Do you mean I might still have to face some trials?"

"No. There should be virtually no complications in this matter. A trial uses concrete actions or dangerous circumstances to determine whether someone is steadfast, loyal, or correct. Naturally, you no longer need any of that.

"What you face next will determine how much strength you can draw upon from the An Prince's Mansion. You could call it a test that won't affect the outcome.

"But I must say, choosing His Highness the An Prince already means you've drawn the most auspicious lot."

Fang Yunhua understood what he meant. This was no longer merely a matter of Second Master Jin building a bridge. It would also follow the court's policy for managing the martial world, meaning that the true bridge-builder this time could be considered the reigning emperor.

And once the emperor gave the word, would any of the princes beneath him dare refuse?

But agreement was one thing. How they would align themselves, how they would cooperate, who would have the dominant voice, and how strongly they would interfere in the martial world-all of these required Mount Hua and the An Prince's Mansion to wrangle with each other, or rather, to fight for every advantage they could.

With someone else, a prince might even resent having this duty forced upon him.

If he spoke of cooperation while secretly doing nothing, or even holding them back, then from Mount Hua's perspective, the alliance would lose all meaning.

The An Prince, however, was an exception.

He had always been the reigning emperor's obedient younger brother, with a severe fixation on his elder brother. Add to that his contentment with a life of pleasure, and compared with princes nursing grand ambitions and hoping to seize the chance to stir up trouble, he would make the best partner.

Of course, even though Fang Yunhua had chosen the An Prince,

the An Prince's love of pleasure and devotion to his brother were separate matters. He would certainly weigh Fang Yunhua first to see what he was worth.

This kind of alliance was itself a process of mutual selection.

After discussing the matter with Second Master Jin in greater detail and receiving plenty of advice from him as a member of Jin Lingzhi's family, Fang Yunhua left with Jin Lingzhi, thoroughly satisfied.

Meanwhile, inside the Jin Mansion,

after spending some time admiring the Red Coral Jade, Madam Jin noticed that her husband was sighing deeply one moment, smiling the next, and then tearing the pages he had written into scraps.

"My dear, did the meeting just now go badly?"

"It went too well." Seeing his wife still holding the Red Coral Jade, unable to put it down, Second Master Jin smiled. "It seems his gift really struck a chord with you."

Madam Jin answered honestly.

"I do love this piece. Of course, what matters most is that Lingzhi likes him very much too. Speaking of which, this young hero Fang does match certain things in the rumors."

"What things?"

"That handsome face of his, of course. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bewitched our Lingzhi so thoroughly."

At that, Second Master Jin merely shook his head with a rueful smile.

"If everyone notices only his appearance, they're bound to suffer dearly for it in the future."

"I didn't expect you to think so highly of him."

"After all, someone so young and clever who hasn't become intoxicated with empty fame is already a rare find. And he's practically half a member of our family now.

"Earlier, in the study, I told him to keep taking Lingzhi seriously until she kicked him aside. Do you know what the brat said? He asked, 'What if she never does?'

"I can see that our little niece is already completely wrapped around his finger.

"But perhaps that's for the best..."

Madam Jin said nothing more. She knew Second Master Jin's habits too well and understood that an idea had suddenly occurred to him.

She quietly withdrew from the study with the Red Coral Jade in her arms.

After writing for a while, however, Second Master Jin did not give a full account of Fang Yunhua's exceptional vision and grasp of the bigger picture in his memorial to the reigning emperor. He blurred the leading role Fang Yunhua had played in this matter. This, too, was his way of protecting him.

He had already seen that Fang Yunhua had no desire to step out of the martial world. That being the case, certain displays of insight far ahead of their time were not suitable for wider knowledge.

They would only bring him trouble instead.

Whether because of his personal admiration for Fang Yunhua or because the young man's request that he build this bridge had also helped him earn some merit,

what mattered even more was that, during this family banquet, he had witnessed Jin Lingzhi's feelings toward Fang Yunhua. He understood that the young man's status as half a member of the family had reached the point where he had to acknowledge it, willing or not. As an elder, he therefore had a duty to clear away the younger generation's worries.