Chapter 54: Negotiation (Part I)

"The Lu family?"

Inside the Crown Prince's bedchamber, the Crown Prince frowned upon receiving the report from Eunuch Yuan. No one else knew about his plan to retaliate against Zhang Rui, but Lu Sheng certainly knew. Why on earth would he let the Lu family interfere at a time like this?

He had put a tremendous amount of effort into preparing that residence for that fellow, even invoking his mother the Empress's name so that the other party would have to think twice before declining. He had numerous schemes in place, yet they were all instantly ruined by the Lu family!

"Judging by the demeanor of the Lu family's head steward, he and this fellow surnamed Zhang seem to have known each other for a long time."

"Is that so?" The Crown Prince's gaze turned cold. "The Lu family has been rather restless these past few years. The year before last, that prominent figure was a guest at their estate, and this year, the fellow surnamed Zhang is connected to them as well, yet I knew nothing of it. Does the Lu family truly have their hands reaching up to the heavens?"

"Their loyalty should be beyond question." Eunuch Yuan thought for a moment before speaking. "Logically speaking, the two most talented scions of the Lu family's current generation have both pledged allegiance to Your Highness, and back in Beihai, didn't that Lu Yuan even give his life to save Your Highness?"

Hearing Lu Yuan's name, the Crown Prince's expression softened slightly. Lu Yuan had been his study companion since the age of nine, possessing extraordinary talent. Not only was he at the top of his class in poetry, prose, and Confucian classics, but his aptitude for arcane arts was also peerless. A first-rank sorcerer by the age of thirty was a top-tier existence even in the long history of the Lu family.

Having eaten, slept, and lived alongside him since childhood, their relationship was exceptionally close. The first time the Crown Prince sneaked out of the palace to visit the pleasure quarters, Lu Yuan had taken the blame for him. It was no exaggeration to call him a lifelong friend.

In Beihai City, Lu Yuan had tested various elixirs for him, ultimately leading to a weakened constitution that allowed an evil entity to exploit his vulnerability, resulting in a miserable death—a loss that still deeply grieved the Crown Prince.

However, Lu Yuan was Lu Yuan, and the Lu family was the Lu family. Lu Yuan's loyalty did not mean the Lu family's loyalty. These aristocratic clans were the tumors of the dynasty and venomous snakes lurking right at hand. The moment an opportunity arose, it would be these clan members who overthrew the dynasty!

As he was thinking this, a servant hurried in from outside the hall to report, "Your Highness, Zhang's family members have already moved into the residence provided by the Lu family!"

"Heh..." The Crown Prince sneered upon hearing this, the faint emotional stirring in his eyes caused by the memory of Lu Yuan instantly vanishing without a trace, leaving behind only a sinister and glacial chill.

"Cough... When is the Ministry of Personnel conferring official positions?"

"Your Highness..." Eunuch Yuan hurriedly handed over a handkerchief. Although the Crown Prince had narrowly escaped disaster this time, his body was frighteningly weak. The imperial physicians in the palace had tried every possible means to nourish His Highness, but judging by his appearance, his health was deteriorating day by day. If this continued...

"The day after tomorrow, roughly."

"Arrange the case at the Court of Judicial Review sooner. It will be just the right test of his mettle."

Eunuch Yuan hesitated upon hearing this. That case was rather malicious; if word got out, the Crown Prince's reputation of many years would be tarnished. Why go to such lengths just to make things difficult for that Lord Zhang? Come to think of it, Lord Zhang had even saved the Crown Prince's life.

"Your Highness, is this really necessary?" he asked, mustering his courage.

The Crown Prince looked up at him, his eyes filled with a chilling malice that made Eunuch Yuan's heart tremble.

"Just do as you are told. I hope this is the last time you ever defy me!"

Was this considered defiance?

Eunuch Yuan hurriedly lowered his head and answered in the affirmative, his heart sinking further and further. Ever since the Crown Prince's return, his temper had become increasingly sinister and tyrannical. Although he had been somewhat dark in the past, on the surface he had at least been magnanimous and generous. What on earth had happened to him now?

"Understood, this slave will attend to it right away."

Only after Eunuch Yuan had withdrawn did the Crown Prince take out the handkerchief. Looking at the bright red blood stains upon it, his expression grew even uglier.

The forbidden arts used by those good-for-nothing slaves definitely had a problem. No matter how many restorative medicines he consumed, his body only grew worse. He had to find a way out, or else he would perish before his imperial father even abdicated the throne.

After his death, the third prince was the most likely to usurp his position. Others might not know it, but he had known since childhood that the third prince had always harbored... illicit intentions toward the Empress!

***

The box in that fellow surnamed Zhang's possession—he had to get his hands on it!

He recalled when Master Tian had died; although that young girl had attacked with terrifying force, sorcerers were not beings that could be dealt with simply by killing them. Many martial artists were reluctant to confront sorcerers precisely because once a sorcerer died, the evil entities bound to them would riot, often proving far more terrifying than the sorcerer himself.

As a top-tier sorcerer, Master Tian had possessed no shortage of malevolent entities, yet not a single thing had gone wrong at the time.

He had seen it clearly: it was that fellow surnamed Zhang who had opened the box, and afterwards, all the evil entities afflicting Master Tian seemed to have vanished completely inside it!

He had a gut feeling that the box was a supreme treasure—a supreme treasure capable of altering his destiny!

***

One hour ago:

"Lord Zhang truly is full of surprises..." Lu Chengfeng stared intently at the man before him. Had he not been entirely lacking in confidence, he would have loved to strike out and crush this fellow right then and there.

A figure capable of seeing through the Lu family's illusion array posed far too great a threat!

"Lord Duke need not be overly surprised," Zhang瑞 said calmly. "The world is vast, and many people possess capabilities that you cannot fully anticipate. To my knowledge, there are no fewer than three people within this capital alone who can see through the Divine Lord."

"Oh?" Lu Chengfeng narrowed his eyes. "Then I must ask Lord Zhang to enlighten me."

"If Lord Duke desires intelligence, what can you offer me in return?" Zhang Rui countered directly. "Do not tell me the Lu family harbors no ulterior motives. The centipede seed of the Hundred-Eyed Divine Lord is not something that can be casually released. If the Lu family were content with their current status, there would be no need to orchestrate such a scheme."

"You..." Lu Chengfeng's pupils contracted once more. The other party actually knew the moniker of the Hundred-Eyed Divine Lord!

The true identity of the Divine Lord was something only the founding emperor had discovered once in the past. The terms of the founding emperor's blood pact included a strict provision: never to casually leak the secrets of the Hundred-Eyed Divine Lord. Throughout successive dynasties, only the reigning emperor knew of it, and in the year Emperor Hongzhi passed away, the Lu family participated in the struggle for the throne, permanently burying this secret.

Now, even the imperial family did not know what the Hundred-Eyed Divine Lord was, yet this suddenly appeared wild youth knew everything!

Observing the other's shock, Zhang Rui roughly formed a guess in his heart.

Indeed, the moment he stepped outside the courtyard, he had instantly recognized the origin of the Lu family's yin god.

Mainly, its design was far too conspicuous: a human head with an insect's body, covered in a hundred hair-raising, creepy eyes. This design was one of the easiest to recognize among the malevolent entities he had conceptualized in his scrap drafts back in the day. He never expected it to have evolved into a yin god worshipped by a great aristocratic family!

The monster's true form was modeled after the legendary Hundred-Eyed Centipede in mythological lore, possessing the trait of the "centipede seed." It could be planted into a human body, using venomous insects to control the host. Once implanted, no matter how heaven-defying the victim's abilities might be, they would be constrained and reduced to a running dog.

However, this method would consume the quintessential blood of the Hundred-Eyed Centipede and was not to be used lightly unless necessary.

Yet, given that the Lu family had gone so far as to scheme against even a down-and-out rural licentiate like himself by planting one, it meant the Lu family was likely employing a broad-net strategy. Perhaps over all these years, the Lu family had secretly controlled countless individuals through this divine ability.

Most likely, the seeds were planted when the targets were still unestablished. Provided one was willing to invest time in planning and the Hundred-Eyed Centipede had sufficient nourishment, the margin for trial and error was virtually limitless. Imperial officials, martial artists of the jianghu, and even overlooked scions of other aristocratic families could all be targets of the Lu family. Over time, the influence they had secretly cultivated probably exceeded the imperial family's wildest imagination.

Especially given the shock the other party displayed when he uttered the origins of the Hundred-Eyed Divine Lord, he could surmise that practically no one else in the world knew the origin of the Lu family's yin god, let alone its unique centipede seed trait. The Lu family had been plotting for a long time; this was unequivocally a clan harboring rebellion in their hearts!

Watching Zhang Rui calmly sip his tea, Lu Chengfeng forcibly suppressed the killing intent rising in his heart and spoke in a low voice, "What does Lord Zhang want?"

The other party practically knew everything about the Lu family, while the Lu family knew nothing about him. Having lived for over fifty years, this was the first time Lu Chengfeng had ever felt so passive.

"The Crown Prince wishes to target me, and my upcoming promotion to the Court of Judicial Review will undoubtedly involve some trap waiting for me. Does Lord Duke possess any intelligence regarding this?"

"How could I possibly know what His Highness the Crown Prince intends to do?"

"Then there is no need for further discussion." Hearing this, Zhang Rui made to stand up.

"Wait!" Lu Chengfeng quickly stood up to placate him. "Lord Zhang, there's no need to be so forceful..." Lu Chengfeng chuckled, completely shedding his previous condescending posture. "Two days! At most two days, and I will deliver precise intelligence to you!"

"Very well!" Zhang Rui nodded. "Secondly, I desire a sorcerer tutor—ah, the kind who teaches from the very basics."

"What?" Lu Chengfeng froze, staring at Zhang Rui. "Are you joking, my lord?"

According to intelligence, this fellow was capable of killing Tian Ye. Although the one who actually fought was that young girl, no matter how formidable a martial artist was, controlling the malevolent entity left behind after a sorcerer's death was exceptionally difficult. Yet, according to reports, after Tian Ye's death, there had been no rampaging evil entities whatsoever. The only possibility was that Lord Zhang himself had intervened and resolved it directly!

Coupled with the ability to see through the Lu family's illusion array, this Lord Zhang before him was conservatively a first-rank sorcerer.

Why on earth would he need an introductory sorcerer?

"I am not that idle," Zhang Rui smiled. "Is this request unreasonable?"

Lu Chengfeng thought for a moment before replying, "Tomorrow, I will temporarily transfer an outstanding elder from within the clan..."

"Lord Duke..." Zhang Rui directly interrupted him. "I require an introductory sorcerer whom I will not be returning. Are you certain you wish to gift a clan elder to me?"

Lu Chengfeng: "........."

"The lord wants a sorcerer?"

"Yes!" Zhang Rui smiled.

"May I ask why?" Lu Chengfeng narrowed his eyes.

"No."

"Is that so?" Lu Chengfeng smiled upon hearing this. "In that case, my lord must first demonstrate some sincerity. A sorcerer with slave status is an extremely precious commodity!"

Zhang Rui nodded. He had to secure this sorcerer from the Lu family. To be honest, he hadn't initially been very interested in the growth methods of sorcerers; the idea of symbiosis with malevolent entities was spine-chilling to contemplate.

However, the craft of an artifact artisan was structurally very similar to a sorcerer's system. Now that the legacy of artifact artisans had vanished, his only option was to approach it from the perspective of sorcerers, utilizing the Heavenly Mystery Box to see if he could research a breakthrough.

Bluffing with external objects was never a long-term solution. If he wanted to protect his family, his own foundation had to be solid enough!

Moreover, this was a prime opportunity. The centipede seed was a terrifyingly buggy tool for control, but it came with a massive hidden flaw. If utilized properly...

"Doesn't Lord Duke wish to know who else in this capital can see through the Hundred-Eyed Divine Lord?" Zhang Rui said slowly as he unrolled a painting scroll he had brought along. "The master of the painting market actually saw right through your establishment long ago!"

As the scroll unfurled, Lu Chengfeng abruptly stood up. Painted upon Zhang Rui's scroll was the exact likeness of the Hundred-Eyed Divine Lord!