Chapter 655 - The So-Called Betrothal Gift (1/2)

Edited by: NZRose

“You just don’t like my Dage!” Yan Tianhen concluded.

“You’re actually poking me with your elbow!” You Ming suddenly stood up. His pair of bright eyes were extremely cold as he glared at Lin Xuanzhi. “I don’t know what kind of bewitching drug you gave Ah Hen to make him so dead set on you, but I’ll put these words down right now — just based on the fact that you didn’t tell us, his parents, and took it upon yourself to take Ah Hen to the Tomb of Youshan, I will never allow you and Ah Hen to be together easily!”

With that, You Ming left with a fling of his sleeves.

Yan Tianhen was dumbfounded.

Although You Ming had a bad temper, it was a really rare occasion when he truly became angry.

Yan Tianhen was suddenly at a loss. He looked up at Yan Zhonghua in panic. “Father, Dad is really angry. I… I didn’t mean to make him angry.”

Yan Zhonghua knew that You Ming wasn’t happy. In the past two years, he had been thinking and worrying about his son every day and looking forward to seeing him. He even contacted lots of people to enter the Tomb of Youshan to save his son, but he still couldn’t make any progress, so he was already harboring a ball of fire inside his heart. Now that his precious baby had finally returned safely, he also worried that they didn’t even have time for a deep family chat, yet there was now a new mess about getting a sweetheart. Thus, it was also human nature that You Ming couldn’t accept this for the time being.

Yan Zhonghua gave Yan Tianhen a pacifying look. “Don’t you understand your dad’s temper? He’s simply afraid that you’ll throw your dad to the back of your mind once you get a sweetheart. If you go and coax him, he’ll be happy.”

Yan Tianhen glanced at Lin Xuanzhi and then Yan Zhonghua again. He stood up. “I’m going to find Dad, but don’t bully Dage.”

Yan Zhonghua smiled. “I’m not that childish.”

This was indirectly suggesting that You Ming was childish.

Yan Tianhen also smiled. He entered the field of frost flowers and went to look for the childish You Ming.

Returning to the Frost-Returning Snow Terrace, only Yan Zhonghua and Lin Xuanzhi were left. Yan Zhonghua raised his hand and waved his wide sleeves. These frost flowers dancing with their swords instantly shattered and formed a neat formation of frost flower soldiers at a speed that was hard for the naked eye to catch up with. For a moment, the war drums thundered, and the voice of iron horses and armor poured into their eardrums, just like a platoon of soldiers.

Many years ago, Yan Zhonghua, the former first heir, promised to give up his right to succession and never wield any troops in exchange for giving You Ming a legitimate status. Besides serious or critical circumstances, he couldn’t even casually leave the Royal Heavenly Capital. Thus, the acting crown prince had actually been trapped on this small piece of land.

However, at this moment, Yan Zhonghua didn’t seem to be as laissez-faire, gentle, and harmless as he appeared. Xuanzhi had naturally seen such a powerful array before.

It seemed to be merely illusory, but in reality, there were real troops being trained by Yan Zhonghua’s instructions from thousands of miles away, but their movements were hidden and no one knew about them.

The frost flowers were another manifestation of his will.

Yan Zhonghua asked, “Do you understand?”

Lin Xuanzhi nodded. “Of course I understand.”

“I think you already know a thing or two about my intentions. With Ah Hen’s status, he doesn’t have the freedom to act independently in many matters. As the second heir, Ah Hen can never stay out of the war.” Yan Zhonghua’s tone was nonchalant, but there was a thundering might behind it. “There were once 28 successors in the Yan family. Some died in demon invasions, foreign enemy invasions, struggles for power, and all kinds of unexpected but hidden dangers. Ah Hen has long been the target of public criticism. This is his fate. He cannot escape it; he can only fight and accept it.”

Yan Zhonghua looked at Lin Xuanzhi and continued, “Ah Hen is destined to have a rough life. If he doesn’t fight, someone will force him to fight. If the demon clan breaks the contract with the Qianyuan Dynasty, Ah Hen will be the one leading the charge to kill demons, and if the Divine Clans of the other eight Lands moved to rebel against the Emperor, Ah Hen will be the once suppressing them and wielding the halberd in the household. Yan Zizhang has the ambition of wild wolves, and Yan Huaijin is dormant in the dark right now, just waiting for the opportunity… One day, he will walk the path he must.”

After a pause, Lin Xuanzhi answered, “I understand.”

Yan Zhonghua said, “The orthodox Dao values you very much and regards you as the Light of Daoism and the hope for their revival. Similarly, you are an elder of Myriad Dao Academy, the same sect that previously sealed off its island, closed its doors, and had never interfered in worldly matters. Huarong Sword Immortal, there are some matters that are difficult to choose, yet you must also decide which fork to take in advance.”

“I understand His Royal Highness King Ye’s words.” Lin Xuanzhi said sincerely, “Since I chose Ah Hen, I’ve already decided to advance and retreat with him, sharing honor and disgrace; life and death with him. The sect is not important. I did not sell myself to Myriad Dao Academy, so I’ll leave when I have to. As for the so-called Light of Daoism, it’s nothing more than a halo the orthodox Dao imposed upon me, and I also don’t care about it.”

Yan Zhonghua was somewhat impressed by Lin Xuanzhi’s carefree attitude, but he still said, “Empty talk cannot be taken as proof. Don’t tell me that you’re not even slightly tempted by the benefits the orthodox Dao gave you?”

Lin Xuanzhi smiled slightly. “I don’t rely on others to give me what I want. I can reach for it myself.”

Yan Zhonghua said, “You are someone outside of this secular world.”

People outside the secular world always stayed out of worldly affairs. Even if he became Dao companions with Yan Tianhen in the future, if Yan Tianhen ever became deeply mired in the mud, Lin Xuanzhi could still leave a light sentence, “Someone outside the secular world cannot interfere in worldly affairs”, so as to cut off their relationship and any responsibility he had. Under such circumstances, no one would criticize him for throwing away the responsibility where Dao companions should help each other. After all, people who lived outside the secular world wouldn’t involve themselves in worldly affairs, to begin with. They’d think Yan Tianhen was the one who insisted on dragging him into the water, so if Yan Tianhen met trouble, he would have to take care of it himself.

Lin Xuanzhi’s pair of dark eyes gazed at Yan Zhonghua calmly. When he gave a light smile, everything in the world lost its color — “I’m willing to give Reincarnation Palace as a betrothal gift. My only wish is to accompany Ah Hen in eternal life.”

Yan Zhonghua’s eyelids twitched violently a few times. “Reincarnation Palace? The Palace Master of Reincarnation Palace is actually you!”

What was Reincarnation Palace?