Replacement

Chu Zhiyuan clasped his hands and smiled.

The best way to handle Chu Zhiyao's blunt words was to brush them off lightly, leaving no point of contact for force to land.

Chu Mingxuan waved his hand and said, "Alright, Fourth Son has already gone to the Ministry of Rites; we can't just transfer him mid-journey... Third Son, how long are you staying this time back?"

He spoke as he invited everyone to take their seats.

One exquisite dish after another was brought up, perfect in color, aroma, and flavor, enough to make one's mouth water at the sight. When that jar of medicinal wine was opened, it released a fragrance, the scent of wine mingled with a strange herbal aroma.

Just one whiff of that herbal scent and one's spirits lifted.

Chu Zhiyuan revealed a smile.

This medicinal wine was a great boon to the Dragon Transformation Technique, saving a considerable amount of arduous effort.

"This time... I'm afraid I'll be resting for a while," Chu Zhiyao slammed his fist on the table. "The Great Zhen Envoy Mission is coming for real this time!"

"Third Brother, is Great Zhen really going to form a marriage alliance with us?" Chu Zhichuan asked with a frown.

"Mm."

Chu Mingxuan was puzzled. "How could Father Emperor possibly agree?"

"Join forces to deal with Great Meng first, of course. Over there in Great Meng, the new emperor has just ascended the throne and is full of ambition. Teaming up with Great Zhen is just the way to take down Great Meng!"

"Aren't you afraid Great Zhen will play tricks?"

"Great Zhen naturally has to show sincerity."

"What sincerity?"

"A marriage alliance!"

"Who's marrying whom, exactly? We can't just send a princess over!"

"Then it depends on each side's skill..."

"What skill?"

"Hard to say."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Third Brother, you came back early—there's some assignment, isn't there?"

Chu Zhiyao wore a very reluctant expression, his face gloomy. "I reckon the Great Zhen Envoy Mission will propose a contest. Their mission will include a Prince and a Heir."

"Mm... if there's a contest, it has to be matched. A Heir must compete with a Heir." Chu Mingxuan knew this most basic rule—the principle of parity between nations.

If a Heir in the Great Zhen Envoy Mission proposed a contest or spar, then Great Jing would naturally have to send a Heir as well.

Chu Zhiyao sneered. "Great Zhen has a Heir who is a Martial Arts Prodigy, Cheng Tianfeng. He reached the Innate Realm at eighteen."

"Eighteen and already Innate? How old is he now?"

"Twenty-two." Chu Zhiyao said slowly. "Four years have passed—who knows which level he's reached now!"

"He hasn't reached Grandmaster, has he?" Chu Zhiting said.

Chu Zhiyao frowned and shook his head. "If he'd truly become a Grandmaster at twenty-two, word would have spread across the world long ago. There's no way they'd keep it quiet."

Becoming a Grandmaster at twenty-two would be an unprecedented achievement—how could they possibly let such news slip? It would be a massive boost to the prestige of the entire Great Zhen royal family, solidifying military morale and Popular Support—the benefits would be endless.

"Then Third Son, you should train hard and conserve your strength," Chu Mingxuan said. "Win some honor for our Great Jing!"

They understood the purpose of Chu Zhiyao's return.

Among Great Jing's Heirs, only three were currently in the Innate Realm. Chu Zhiyao had entered Innate the earliest and had trained in the Military, making him stronger than the Sixth Heir, Chu Zhihua. Naturally, he was the one to take on the challenge from Great Zhen's Heir.

Chu Zhiyao sized up Chu Zhiyuan. "Fourth Son, you take my place in the contest!... I'll report to Imperial Grandfather to have the substitution made."

"Ah?... That won't do!" Chu Zhiyuan put on a look of surprise and hurriedly waved his hand.

"Why won't it do?!" Chu Zhiyao snorted. "You're stronger than me, so you're naturally more qualified to take the challenge!"

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head. "I'm not like Third Brother, who's been through countless Military Formations. I lack experience, I'm too green—I can't handle such a heavy responsibility."

"You're stronger than me—that alone is enough!" Chu Zhiyao snorted.

Chu Zhiyuan still shook his head.

Chu Zhiyao furrowed his brow and darkened his face. "Are you saying you don't want to win face and honor for our Great Jing Dynasty?"

Chu Zhiyuan said, "I'm afraid that with no experience, I'll end up disgracing Great Jing instead."

Chu Zhiyao stared hard at him and said in a low voice, "If you truly win, it will be a great merit."

"Third Brother, how great a merit is it?" Chu Zhiting asked curiously.

The three of them hadn't interrupted until now.

Privately, they felt the best candidate was indeed Chu Zhiyuan. Chu Zhiyuan's combat prowess far exceeded the level of his cultivation technique.

But saying that outright would be too damaging to Chu Zhiyao's pride.

"At least Seventh Grade Merit, right?" Chu Mingxuan looked at Chu Zhiyao. "Isn't that so, Third Brother?"

Chu Zhiyao nodded slowly. "That's right, at least Seventh Grade."

Chu Zhiting and Chu Zhichuan's eyes immediately lit up.

Seventh Grade Merit was beyond their reach. Not to mention the Postnatal Realm—even in the Innate Realm, it was nearly impossible to establish Seventh Grade Merit.

Eighth Grade Merit was already the limit for Xiantian Masters.

Seventh Grade Merit could not only exchange for more miraculous pills and elixirs and divine weapons and sharp blades, but more importantly, it could lead to promotion.

The higher the position, the more opportunities to earn merits, and the greater the merits one could obtain.

Chu Zhiyuan just shook his head, but inwardly he was certain.

Since he had already displayed overwhelming strength, this selection was already destined to be his, regardless of what he or Chu Zhiyao decided.

This matter carried high rewards, but also high risks.

That Cheng Tianfeng had stepped into the Innate Realm four years ago. What if he was a prodigy like himself, or even one who surpassed him?

By now, he might even have reached Innate Perfection.

If he were defeated, it would disgrace the Great Jing Dynasty, and he would be condemned by a thousand pointing fingers.

But to him, that didn't matter.

Prince Qing's Estate had only just begun to recover. Even a loss would merely return it to its former state—the damage wouldn't be that great. With his Super Sensation and talent, he could still climb back up.

If he won, he would gain Seventh Grade Merit.

A single Seventh Grade Merit could exchange for at least several dozen Marrow Cleansing Pills, which would be an enormous boost to his cultivation.

He would also gain immense prestige, greatly elevating Prince Qing's Estate's standing.

Moreover, during the period before the competition, he might receive substantial support.

Surely the Emperor wouldn't just sit back and do nothing, refusing to use means to boost his cultivation so he could fight and display the Great Jing's might?

This was about the Great Jing's face, even about the Great Jing's interests.

So this was an extremely rare opportunity.

And that opportunity was already nearly in his grasp.

So why not put on a lofty posture?

Chu Mingxuan coughed twice and said in a deep voice, "If this Cheng Tianfeng is really that formidable, then Fourth Son, you should go. This isn't a matter of yielding."

The Great Avalanche Sword Art was invincible within the Innate Realm. No one could withstand it—it was too fast.

If someone else had mastered the Great Avalanche Sword Art, they could only unleash one strike. But he could strike one after another, treating the Great Avalanche Sword Art like an ordinary sword technique.

Who could withstand that?

Unless they were faster than him.

Even Grandmasters might not match his sword speed.

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head. "Third Brother has traveled a long way back..."

Chu Zhiyao snorted. "Whether I've worked hard or not doesn't matter. What matters is winning, bringing glory to our Great Jing Dynasty's imperial clan."

Chu Zhiyuan still shook his head with a smile.

Chu Zhiyao said, "I'll be a backup. If there's another Heir Apparent, I'll step up then. In any case, the Great Zhen will surely seize the chance to cause trouble, to gain an advantage in negotiations... But this also carries risks. If I lose, I'll be a sinner!"

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head again.

"Fourth Brother, are you afraid? Afraid of losing face?" Chu Zhiyao suddenly let out a cold laugh.

"...Ah—well! Since that's the case, I'll give it a try." Chu Zhiyuan looked at Chu Mingxuan and shook his head. "Eighteenth Uncle, I shouldn't have come tonight."

Chu Mingxuan gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Fourth Son, you've got nothing to worry about!"

Chu Zhiyao's cold laugh turned into a smile, and he slapped Chu Zhiyuan hard on the shoulder. "Now this is a true son of the Chu clan!"

He then said solemnly, "Get ready. The Great Zhen Envoy Mission will arrive in a few days."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded slowly.

Chu Mingxuan raised his wine cup and called out, "Come, come, let's first toast to Fourth Son's triumphant victory, a great win over the Great Zhen's Heir Apparent, and let the Great Jing's prestige soar!"

"Yes, a great victory!"

Everyone raised their cups and drank heartily.

Then they began to eat and chat idly.

Chu Zhiting asked about matters in the Military.

He very much wanted to join the Military, but because of Father King, he couldn't. So he was both intensely eager and deeply curious about it.

Chu Zhichuan was also curious about the situation in the Military.

Chu Zhiyao asked where the two of them planned to go. When he heard they were heading to the Town Martial Division, he shook his head repeatedly. "Listen to my advice—don't go to the Town Martial Division. Go to the Military instead!"

The two of them hesitated.

He looked at Chu Zhiting. "Ninth Son, just don't go serve under Tenth Uncle."

"Father King won't allow it," Chu Zhiting said helplessly.

"...Then there's really no way around it." Chu Zhiyao said regretfully, "It's too easy to earn merits in the military, especially on the border—a small skirmish every three days, a big battle every ten, fighting without end."

Chu Zhiyuan listened thoughtfully.

Chu Zhiyao said, "I've already earned ten Ninth Grade Merits. If I were anywhere else, how could that be possible?... And you, Fourth Brother, how are things at the Ministry of Rites?"

Chu Zhiyuan nodded. "The Ministry of Rites is indeed a clear-water office—no real opportunities to earn merits."

"The Town Martial Division also has plenty of merit-earning opportunities," Chu Zhichuan said. "Third Brother, we've looked into it—the Town Martial Division is also fighting and killing day and night."

"That's far more dangerous than being in the military," Chu Zhiyao said. "In the military, you're at least a Guerrilla General; you don't have to charge at the very front."

Chu Zhichuan blinked. He hadn't expected those words to come from Chu Zhiyao's mouth, and found it very strange.

He had always thought Chu Zhiyao led from the front, not realizing he stayed behind to claim the merits.

Chu Zhiyao saw what he was thinking and snorted. "Don't think a Guerrilla General does nothing but claim merits. You have to command troops. If a command error causes soldiers to fall, you'll get the rod—or even lose your head."

Chu Zhiting quickly chimed in, "That's right. Being a general is hard. If a command error leads to your subordinates' deaths, you'll not only be punished, but you'll also suffer in your heart, unable to find peace."

He often heard Father King say that mercy cannot command troops. A man too soft-hearted who becomes a general will often weep bitterly in the dead of night, or even be unable to sleep soundly.

Thinking of those soldiers who wholeheartedly supported and trusted him, only to lose their lives because of his mistake—that would breed guilt and pain, a burden never to be lifted in a lifetime.

So anyone not ruthless enough should stay out of the military.

And his own nature was inherently gentle, the least suited for the military.

Thus, not letting him join the military was both to avoid suspicion and because it went against his nature. The best place for him was the Town Martial Division.

Subduing demons and vanquishing evils, with a clear conscience—that suited his nature best.

Once it suited his nature, it also helped with cultivation.

Going against one's nature meant that no matter how many merits one earned in the military, or how many Miraculous Pills and Elixirs one obtained, cultivation would be nearly impossible—barely crossing into Master, let alone Grandmaster.

Chu Zhiyuan pulled the conversation back to that Cheng Tianfeng, wanting to learn as much as he could about the man's true measure.