A First Meeting
The journey back to the Immortal Dynasty with the Liang Kingdom family went more smoothly than expected.
It can be described as completely calm and peaceful.
Just as Zhuo Ning said, once he successfully received the Liang Kingdom family in Autumn Leaf City...
Even if the many contenders for the throne did not want him to gain the National Fortune, they dared not make a move rashly.
A month later, the group finally brought the Liang Kingdom's royal family back to the Celestial Dynasty of Blazing Sun.
The welcoming ceremony, the submission, and the marriage alliance proceeded smoothly and in an orderly manner.
The entire Immortal Dynasty was briefly plunged into joy.
The Immortal Kingdom's territory has suddenly expanded by an entire empire; such a momentous event is worthy of universal celebration.
Zhuo Ning's name became known to the people of the Immortal Kingdom for the first time.
Meanwhile, the people of the Immortal Kingdom expressed their admiration for the Immortal Emperor, exclaiming, "Just how prolific are you, with your 125th son?"
This festive atmosphere, reminiscent of Chinese New Year, lasted for a long time throughout the entire Immortal Kingdom, especially in the Immortal Dynasty.
It only gradually faded away after Zhuo Ning married the princess of the Liang Kingdom.
During this period when the entire Immortal Dynasty was in a frenzy of celebration, no one noticed that a strange face had appeared among Zhuo Ning's subordinates.
Whether it's the steward or the enshrined servants in the immortal abode, they all respectfully address him as "Mister Yi"!
Zhuo Ning did not linger in the joy of his new marriage for too long. On the third day, he summoned all his subordinates to his immortal abode.
When everyone entered the hall, they discovered that besides Prince Ning, there was another unfamiliar face sitting there.
Apart from Lin Li and a few other worshippers, everyone else, as they took their seats, was also sizing up the stranger.
"Cough cough!"
With a cough, everyone's attention was instantly drawn to Zhuo Ning.
"Everyone! This is my good friend, Yi Xuan. He's come here specifically to help me!"
As Zhuo Ning introduced Yi Xuan, the Divine Sense those in the hall instantly intertwined.
Everyone wanted to see just how capable this 'friend' who could sit side by side with Prince Ning really was.
Unfortunately, when everyone scanned the area with their Divine Sense, they were all greatly disappointed.
I thought that someone who could be valued by Prince Ning must at least be a master of the Tribulation Transcendence.
It turned out to be a piece of trash who hadn't even reached the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Aside from his physical strength reaching the Nascent Soul Realm stage, this guy in front of me can be described as utterly useless.
What role could such a person play in the struggle for the throne of the Immortal Kingdom?
Everyone was filled with doubt; they didn't understand why Prince Ning wanted to find this friend.
However, since Prince Ning was present, they couldn't directly start a discussion.
Although everyone remained silent, the exchange of Divine Sense within the hall became increasingly active.
"What does Prince Ning mean by finding such a person?"
"I didn't know, I thought he was a master, sigh..."
"What kind of friends does Prince Ning have? Their cultivation level isn't even at the Foundation Establishment!"
"This kid is physically strong; he must be on the Martial Dao. No wonder he's associated with Prince Ning!"
Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, basically mocking Yi Xuan's weak abilities and finding him increasingly displeasing.
In the end, some people even became indignant.
"Hmph, thanks to the Liang Kingdom's affairs, Prince Ning finally has the opportunity to compete with the other Seed princes. Don't let him get cocky just because he's achieved some success. Gentlemen, as Prince Ning's subordinates, if we don't advise him now, when will we?"
These words immediately drew responses from others.
However, one or two of these people noticed something was amiss.
In the past, when such things happened, the retainers under Prince Ning would be the most enthusiastic.
What happened now?
They all stood there like quails, completely silent. Had they changed their nature?
However, these worshippers remained silent, and they were all quite pleased with themselves.
Putting everything else aside, in their eyes, Zhuo Ning's retainers were nothing more than a few thugs.
They're usually just a nuisance and never offer any real help.
There are no plans, no strategies.
After cultivating for so many years, their cultivation level has indeed increased, to the point that their minds are almost completely blocked by their own cultivation.
These deities naturally overheard the conversation through their Divine Sense.
When they realized that the others didn't think much of Yi Xuan, they could only remain silent and laugh to themselves.
It's as if I'm seeing myself from just a few days ago.
Just wait, you'll have your turn to cry.
Although Zhuo Ning was a martial artist, he could roughly guess from the state of his subordinates that they were communicating with their Divine Sense, so he took the initiative to speak.
"Gentlemen, I am deeply grateful for the Immortal Emperor's favor in bestowing such a great reward upon me. This has allowed me to seize control of the nation's National Fortune and finally have a chance to contend for the throne! However, this good fortune will only come once; I will need your continued support in the future!"
"Your Prince Ning is too kind!"
"Prince Ning is blessed with great fortune; the throne is surely yours!"
Just as everyone was congratulating Zhuo Ning, a discordant voice rang out.
"The situation is just right now. I only hope that Prince Ning can stay true to his original aspirations and not become complacent with some achievements!"
These words were like a fly suddenly landing on a delicious dish.
Anyone would find that disgusting.
In Yi Xuan's opinion, this person was just being presumptuous!
While it may seem that the words were meant to be helpful to Zhuo Ning, they actually demonstrate a lack of consideration for the context.
So what? You think you're so great? You think you're so good at talking?
Is it really meaningful to throw a bucket of cold water on everyone when they're having a good time?
Faced with such a fool, Zhuo Ning couldn't get angry; he could only put on a submissive expression and say, "Mister Wu is right!"
Standing beside Yi Xuan, Lin Li introduced in a low voice, "This is Wu Xingyan, a guest advisor to Prince Ning, at the Integrated Body Realm!"
After hearing Zhuo Ning's response, Wu Xingyan seemed to perk up and walked directly to Yi Xuan and Zhuo Ning with a pigeon-toed gait.
"That's right, Prince Ning. Don't blame me for speaking harshly; it's all for your own good. To become a qualified emperor, you must never be complacent and must guard against arrogance and impetuosity. Moreover, you must be careful in choosing your associates and never make friends with scoundrels, otherwise it will not only be detrimental to yourself but may also disgrace the royal family!"
Yi Xuan had no intention of paying any attention to this arrogant guy.
Since he was advising Zhuo Ning anyway, he could just watch from the sidelines.
But when you offer advice, why does it sound like you're indirectly criticizing someone?
What did I do to offend you?
The worshippers on one side had smiles on their faces. If you looked closely, you would see that their eyes were all focused on Wu Xingyan, and their smiles were not ordinary smiles, but rather a kind of gloating smile.
The meaning behind that smile was quite clear.
It's as if it's saying, "Just wait, you'll have your day!"
However, Wu Xingyan was completely unaware of the seriousness of the matter and continued to stand there giving long speeches, pontificating about the state of affairs.
It's as if as long as Zhuo Ning listens to him, the throne and everything else are no problem at all.
What he didn't notice was that Zhuo Ning's face was getting darker and darker.