These Two Guys Really Knew How to Play Along!

After three rounds of drinks, Li Chen had gained a basic understanding of Liu Hao and Wu Qi.

One was a scion of the illustrious Liu Clan, whose ancestors had once earned dazzling military honors, though the clan had begun declining over the past two hundred years.

The other was the son of Tiger-Crouching City's lord. Tiger-Crouching City was a vital stronghold of the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty, surrounded as it was by the Savage Forest, where Demon Beasts ran rampant.

They were at the late and early stages of the Void-Breaking Realm respectively, and even Li Chen thought their cultivation was pretty decent.

Of course, "decent" here only meant compared to the vast majority of cultivators.

They were, after all, among the Imperial Capital's highest-ranked young talents. That distinction carried some weight.

They simply couldn't be compared to Li Chen. No one could.

The reason Second Prince Li Xian dared to act so arrogantly was that he had already reached the Heaven-Viewing Realm at his age, putting him two whole major realms above Liu Hao and Wu Qi.

Yet Li Chen was another two major realms above Li Xian, and considerably younger to boot. That was the main reason Li Xian had fled with his tail between his legs.

Li Chen found the meal quite enjoyable, having met two talented young men.

Both their manners and their conversation pleased him greatly.

Chu Ruoyan, however, was not pleased. Up to this point, she had kept her head down, eating and drinking, unable to get a word in with Li Chen.

At first, Chu Ruoyan had been certain Liu Hao and Wu Qi would cause trouble.

Their unprompted attentiveness could only mean they were up to some crooked scheme!

In the past, Chu Ruoyan had rather enjoyed watching these men fight over her. Didn't that prove how charming she was?

Ah, these were the troubles that came with being beautiful.

Today, however, she discovered she had no such troubles at all.

Liu Hao and Wu Qi were indeed vying for affection, but they were competing to please another man, paying her no attention whatsoever.

It left Chu Ruoyan feeling as though she had fallen out of favor.

What was more, once the drinks flowed, the three men grew even more animated, making her feel like someone who had merely come to the banquet to cadge a meal.

If not for Li Chen's status, Liu Hao and Wu Qi would probably have already started calling him their brother.

Chu Ruoyan's disadvantage was that she had little experience being a bootlicker.

Whenever she and Li Chen were alone, he was always the one steering the conversation.

Liu Hao and Wu Qi, on the other hand, were professional bootlickers with years of experience.

They merely had to switch targets. The flattery rolled right off their tongues.

Watching them gave Chu Ruoyan a terrible headache. She pondered how she would have to practice flattering Li Chen from now on, or she wouldn't even get a chance to do it.

Having just downed quite a few drinks in gloomy silence, Chu Ruoyan decided to relieve herself and temporarily left the private room.

Seeing Chu Ruoyan leave, Liu Hao was secretly overjoyed. He knew his chance had come.

He poured Li Chen another cup of wine and took advantage of the chance to draw closer, saying quietly, "Brother Li Chen, I have an older Clan Cousin whose beauty could topple cities and kingdoms. Her figure is beyond reproach, too-full in front and curvy behind. If she catches your fancy, I'll make sure everything is arranged."

Before Li Chen could say anything, Wu Qi, sitting beside him, was stunned.

Well, well, well! So that was how you wanted to play?

You really would stop at nothing to please the new emperor.

You even brought out the honey trap. How fucking shameless!

Sensing Wu Qi's gaze, Liu Hao shot him a provocative look that said, What? Give it a shot yourself if you've got the guts!

Wu Qi raced through his thoughts at lightning speed, then revealed a thoroughly wicked smile.

Raising his cup to toast Li Chen, he said, "Brother Li Chen, just look at him. How pretty could his Clan Cousin possibly be? To tell you the truth, I have an aunt who's an absolute beauty, with all the lingering allure of a mature woman. But don't worry, my aunt is still unmarried. Just say the word, and I'll have her come over tonight!"

Those words infuriated Liu Hao.

Talk about your aunt all you want. Why did you have to trample on me?

You fought me over my goddess the moment we met, and now you're fighting me over my male idol too? Have you no shame?

With a little liquid courage fueling his anger, Liu Hao pointed at Wu Qi and cursed, "What's wrong with my looks? Even if I'm not handsome, my Clan Cousin is still a hundred times prettier than your aunt."

Having a finger pointed at him roused Wu Qi's temper too. "What a joke! My aunt is a thousand times prettier than your cousin, and when it comes to figures, a little brat like her couldn't possibly compare."

"I see you've gone a few days without a beating from me, and now your skin's itching for one."

"Bring it on! Who's afraid of you? If I don't beat you until you're crawling around looking for your teeth today, I'll take your surname!"

Chu Ruoyan, who had just returned, was utterly dumbfounded. I only went to the toilet, and now you two are about to fight over a man?

What on earth happened? Could someone please tell me?

Watching this, Li Chen finally understood. These two had most likely guessed his identity, which was why they had said all that.

Liu Hao was the better of the two at reading expressions and gauging reactions. He didn't dare take advantage of Li Chen's standing.

That was why he had offered to introduce his Clan Cousin, ensuring that Li Chen's position would remain above his own.

His cleverest move, however, was not saying it in front of Chu Ruoyan. That way, he avoided making the atmosphere awkward while also getting to see Li Chen's genuine response.

If he had said it in front of Chu Ruoyan, he would have been far too tactless.

Wu Qi lacked Liu Hao's ability to read people, but he was quick on the uptake. He had caught on too.

That was why he immediately offered to introduce his own aunt, elevating Li Chen's position several times further.

This was how Li Chen concluded that they probably knew he was the emperor. Otherwise, having only just met him, why would these two be so frantically introducing beautiful women to him?

But although Li Chen saw through them, he didn't expose them.

Why would he reject two people trying to please him? After all, this was exactly his cup of tea.

He had never been the sort to pretend he was innocent. If he liked something, he liked it.

Li Chen even thought, These two guys really knew how to play along!

They knew how to cater to his tastes. They were indeed promising talents.

Seeing them about to come to blows, Li Chen merely raised a hand and gestured, putting an end to the farce.

No matter how furious they were, neither dared cause trouble in front of Li Chen.

By the time they finished the meal, it was already late.

Liu Hao had even settled the bill ahead of time, leaving Wu Qi no opportunity whatsoever.

Watching all this, Chu Ruoyan felt a little puzzled. Were these two ever this attentive when they were pursuing me?

At this point, Liu Hao and Wu Qi had no further excuse to cling to Li Chen.

They had achieved their goal for the day and left a good impression on him. There was plenty of time ahead, and they would have no shortage of opportunities.

Once they stepped out through the doors of the Drunken Immortal Tower, the two politely bid Li Chen farewell.

There had been a minor interruption to today's date, but Li Chen had achieved his main objective.

The system mission, however, remained incomplete.

Still, he had more than ten days left. Li Chen was also trying to work out the system's patterns, so he wasn't in any great hurry yet.

Just as he was about to escort Chu Ruoyan home, the sound of a violent surge of energy came from nearby.

As a Saint Realm cultivator, Li Chen had extremely keen senses.

It seemed powerful cultivators were fighting nearby. Judging by the intensity of the energy coursing through their meridians, they were at least in the Six Harmonies Realm.

"How strange. This is the busiest shopping street in the Imperial Capital. Who would dare cause such trouble right in the street?"