Hu! After Zhu Yan returned to his residence, a ball of flame burst into sparks in front of him. This was a message sent by a sound transmitting talisman from the Tenth Prince, Yang Zhen. The Tenth Prince wanted him to come see him tonight at his palace.
Zhu Yan could hear his underlying tone. The Ten Prince did not sound happy!
Zhu Yan knew for certain that if the Tenth Prince wanted to see him, it was because of that moment when Lin Ming had openly challenged him. The scouts he had sent to observe the situation must have reported back to the Tenth Prince.
Win over Lin Ming? Stop dreaming!
Zhu Yan reached out a hand and crushed the smoldering ashes in front of him. The voice of the Tenth Prince came to a screeching halt.
Zhu Yan slowly rose up and poured himself a glass of wine. He raised the glass and drained the whole thing. Slowly, his eyes became quietly cold, like a placid lake.
“There is still a month. Do you think that Lin Ming has already won?”
…
As Lin Ming returned to his residence, he also received sound transmitting talismans simultaneously from the Tenth Prince and the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince’s message was from Muyi.
In the sound transmitting talisman, Muyi sent his congratulations and invited Lin Ming to the Crown Prince’s palace to visit and have a drink.
As for the Tenth Price, he also invited Lin Ming over and also asked if Lin Ming could take a view at a rare human-step manual that he had.
These two sound transmitting talismans, in truth, had already violated the regulations of the Seven Profound Martial House. The Martial House had stipulated that any and all outside influences could not disturb disciples in the middle of the school period, even if it was a sound transmitting talisman sent from the outside. However, the present events were of an important matter with the princes competing for the throne, so naturally the Martial House was able to bend the rules a little to accommodate them.
“It seems that both sides want to win me over… I have antagonized too many people and made too many enemies. My own strength is weak… I may be safe in the Seven Profound Martial House, but if I go out, I might be assassinated! Although I created a story that I have some formidable master at my back, this kind of fake thing might not necessarily deter others. If I take a side for the time being, then they can also protect me. Muyi has been gracious and generous towards me and we are friends, and the Crown Prince helped me one time so I owe him a favor. If I join them, that would be a good choice. As for the Tenth Prince, he is a child of the concubine empress of the Zhu Family…” Lin Ming didn’t care much about politics, but he knew about the Zhu Family’s situation, and that the Tenth Prince was Zhu Yan’s cousin. The Zhu Family had used this relationship to climb up the ladder; their influence was growing day by day and rising in the ranks.
It was impossible for Lin Ming to take the Tenth Prince’s side. He immediately declined him!
As for giving face to Muyi, that was something that he absolutely had to do, but now was not the time…
“I thank your highness the Crown Prince for your great and kind invitation, but I already have a promised date in a month and must seize every second and minute, thus I cannot keep my appointment with you. One month later, I will come visit and pay my thanks to your hospitality at that time.
In the Eastern Palace of the Crown Prince, Muyi received Lin Ming’s sound transmitting talisman. He traced his beard and said with a smile, “Lin Ming said that he would come to visit in a month.”
“Oh? This Lin Ming is really so diligent that he doesn’t have a free evening?”
Muyi replied, “Your highness must know that the man that cultivates the path of martial arts must be fastidious and keep their thoughts and heart pure. Lin Ming wholeheartedly pursues the martial arts peak; if his heart doesn’t have any distracting thoughts, then his growth will also be very fast. If he were to come for a drink even for a night, then there would be some unavoidable disturbances in his mind and it would take perhaps a day or two to adjust back.”
“So that’s how it is. No wonder this Lin Ming’s cultivation progressed so quickly. His heart of martial arts must be make up a large part of the reason?”
“Yes. Normally if someone’s heart of martial arts is weak, when they only have some achievements, they have major powers from far and wide trying to win them over. They are very easily tempted by things like wealth and beauty. This kind of person will always lack great talent, and can only be a follower! However, that Lin Ming’s strength improved so quickly is not just due to his pure heart of martial arts, but also because he has a formidable master behind him.”
Initially, Lin Ming had asked Muyi to keep his secret of being an inscription master private, but he had not said anything to Muyi about keeping this formidable shadow master of his a secret.