Smack!
The slap rang out, exceptionally loud and piercing!
Lin Heng landed and stood firm!
"Out of my way!"
"You..."
Xi Zhaoqu touched his face, which had just been slapped hard, furious beyond measure!
"What? You want to ask how I dared to hit you, is that it?"
Lin Heng said impassively, "Why wouldn't I dare hit you? Even if my mother has ascended to the God Realm, I'm still a prince of the Chishui Royal Clan!"
"Who's making a commotion outside the hall?"
Lin Changqing's voice came from inside the hall.
There was a trace of anger in his voice!
"Your Majesty, the little prince Lin Heng forced his way into the Hall of Longevity. This servant stopped him, and he slapped this servant across the face!"
Xi Zhaoqu turned toward the hall doors, cupped his fists in both hands, and bowed as he reported.
Soon, Lin Changqing came to the entrance of the hall with Su Song and the others.
His principal consort, Shi Feifei, was following them too!
Lin Heng remembered that Lin Changqing had not allowed Shi Feifei to take part in affairs of state for a long time!
Clearly, his mother Liu Ling'er's ascension to the God Realm had changed many things!
"Heng'er, you're going too far!"
Seeing the five finger marks on one side of Xi Zhaoqu's face, Lin Changqing looked furious. "The Hall of Longevity is a solemn place where important affairs of the kingdom are discussed. You're only a child. How can you barge in whenever you please?"
Leaving Liu Ling'er aside, Lin Changqing actually disliked this youngest son of his!
Even though Lin Heng had been exceptionally clever from infancy and could speak as soon as he was born, Lin Changqing could not bring himself to like him, because he had always been able to sense Lin Heng's poor attitude toward him.
"You said I could come and go anywhere in the royal palace at any time."
Lin Heng first reminded him of that, then added, "Are you going to say that was before, and now that my mother has gone to the God Realm and I've lost my backer, I'm nothing?"
"How dare you!"
Shi Feifei stepped forward at that moment and pointed at Lin Heng as she scolded him. "Little prince, how can you speak to your royal father like that? This is outrageous! Your mother really has spoiled you rotten!"
"Principal Consort, you're standing awfully straight-backed now!"
Lin Heng glanced at Shi Feifei and said with a smile, "I still remember taking a dump at the entrance to Yongning Palace a year ago. You were so happy then, Principal Consort, and said the little prince's shit smelled wonderful! What happened? Does my shit not smell good anymore, and am I no longer welcome in your eyes?"
"This..."
Shi Feifei was left speechless, her face flushed red.
What Lin Heng had just mentioned had indeed happened. With Liu Ling'er protecting him then, who had dared say half a bad word about Lin Heng?
"Heng'er, you know your mother has ascended to the God Realm. Many things will be different from before!"
Lin Changqing said gravely, "Go back to the Heartwarming Pavilion. I won't spoil you the way your mother did. You'd better follow the rules while you're in the palace!"
"Without my mother, the Chishui Royal Palace and even the whole Chishui Royal City would have ceased to exist long ago. Maybe you'd all be dead too. The laughable thing is, she's only just left, and you've already shown me a different face, without a shred of gratitude."
Lin Heng stepped one foot across the threshold of the Hall of Longevity, finishing what he had to say as he completed his check-in.
Then he left at a leisurely pace!
"Hmph!"
Lin Changqing's face was livid. Clearly, he was quite angry.
"Your Majesty, the little prince is far too arrogant."
Su Song spoke up.
"Alas! This servant really didn't deserve that slap!"
Xi Zhaoqu deliberately put on a pitiful, innocent look, as though he had suffered a grievance as great as the heavens.
"Looked at that way, my son Lin Xuan is better. Though he doesn't have an invincible God Realm mother, at least he knows his place and his manners!"
Shi Feifei spoke as though her words carried a deeper meaning.
Lin Changqing looked first at Su Song and said, "Grand Commander, don't forget that the little prince's mother put aside past grievances and pardoned Consort Su and your entire household! Even leaving his mother aside, you must remember at all times that the little prince is my son!"
"This old minister will remember!"
Su Song jolted, silently cursing himself for speaking up and passing judgment on the little prince.
When Lin Changqing turned his gaze to Xi Zhaoqu, Xi Zhaoqu reacted quickly. Before Lin Changqing could speak, he dropped to his knees with a thud.
"This servant spoke without thinking and meant no offense to the little prince. Please see the truth, Your Majesty!"
"Get up!"
Lin Changqing raised a hand. Finally, he glanced at Shi Feifei and asked, "Xuan'er has been in the Lingxi Kingdom for more than half a year. When is he coming back?"
"Your Majesty, I'm not sure either. I imagine he should be back soon!"
Shi Feifei could not give an exact answer.
"The martial competition held every two years is about to begin. He'd better not miss it!"
"Rest assured, Your Majesty. Xuan'er has always been steady. He would never neglect important business!"
Another day passed.
Early that morning, Hong San was moving his arms and legs in the courtyard of the Heartwarming Pavilion.
He was simply exercising his body and did not use any martial skills or divine abilities.
Lin Heng came out of his bedroom and sat down in a chair beneath the eaves.
"Your old servant deserves death for disturbing you, little prince!"
Hong San hurried over to Lin Heng and bowed.
"Has your Divine Body fully recovered?"
"Little prince, it has fully recovered, and it has even improved somewhat!"
Hong San answered.
"They were two divine pills, after all. It's only natural that you've improved somewhat."
Lin Heng nodded in satisfaction.
"From this day forward, this old servant's life belongs to you, little prince!"
Hong San declared his loyalty.
"You don't have to tell me. I know your character is absolutely reliable!"
Lin Heng held out his right hand to Hong San once more.
This time, what appeared in his right palm was no longer a pill, but a multicolored lotus seed.
"This is..."
Hong San could tell that the lotus seed was extraordinary, but could not identify exactly what it was.
"A seed from the Seven-Colored Heavenly Heart Lotus. It can help you form a Divine Soul Pearl. Take one and try it first. If it doesn't work, I have more."
Lin Heng pressed the lotus seed into Hong San's hand.
Hong San was different from him and Liu Ling'er. Hong San had cultivated step by step, and with nearly a century of cultivation behind him, his soul realm was already quite high.
For a Quasi-God like Hong San, a single seed from the Seven-Colored Heavenly Heart Lotus should be enough to help him form a Divine Soul Pearl!
"Thank you, Lady Goddess. Thank you for this gift, little prince!"
Hong San did not refuse. He was even more convinced that Lady Goddess had indeed left the little prince many divine-grade treasures!
"This lotus seed is quite potent, and it doesn't take long to take effect. Take it right here."
"Your old servant obeys!"
Hong San immediately took the lotus seed.
The time it took to drink a cup of tea passed.
Hong San, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, opened them.
His eyes had become much clearer and brighter, and as deep as a sea of stars!
Thud!
Hong San knelt before Lin Heng once again.
Lin Heng reached out to help him up. "Don't say any of those words of gratitude. My ears are almost growing calluses from hearing them! Just tell me whether you've cultivated a Divine Soul Pearl!"
"Little prince, I've formed a Divine Soul Pearl!"
"Mm! Very good!"
Lin Heng was extremely pleased.
The only slight regret was that Hong San had only an ordinary Divine Body. Even if he also obtained a divine crystal and became a true God Realm expert, he still could not be invincible in the world like Liu Ling'er!
"Hong San, you don't have a divine artifact yet, do you?"