SWNOVELXO Chapter 359: Taking Charge
Chapter 359: Taking Charge
A few days later.
Xu Lian left the estate, crossed through space, and arrived at a mansion located in a remote county of the Qian Dynasty.
The First Prince was stunned for a moment, then laughed bitterly.
“Congratulations to you. I heard that the new emperor has appointed you to oversee an exclusive cultivation resource zone-you have truly risen to the upper echelons of the imperial court. From now on, I’ll have to address you as Master Qin Feng, the Alchemy Master.”
Xu Lian pulled out a jug of wine from his storage pouch – it was one he had casually taken during the family banquet at Marquis Qin’s residence. “Would you like a few drinks?”
The First Prince gestured for him to sit down.
The two of them sat down at a stone table in the courtyard and began to drink.
Xu Lian glanced around the mansion. While it wasn’t exactly shabby, it certainly didn’t resemble the residence of a prince. He sighed softly. “With the new emperor’s ascension, you princes naturally became dukes as his brothers. I expected the new emperor to target you all, but I never imagined he’d be so ruthless – showing no mercy at all by banishing you to this remote little county.”
The First Prince chuckled dryly. “According to the new emperor’s edict, the court will no longer provide me with cultivation resources. As compensation, I have been granted this small county as my fiefdom. How generous.”
“Very generous indeed,” Xu Lian said with a wry smile. As a top-tier powerhouse in the Origin Tracing Realm, the First Prince required Origin Tracing Light for his cultivation. Even if this entire county were sold, it wouldn’t fetch enough to cover a single unit of Origin Tracing Light.
The First Prince looked at him and said, “You told me to endure and focus on cultivation until I break through to the Sage Realm to change my fate. But without access to cultivation resources, how can I change my fate?”
Xu Lian’s eyes shone with a hidden meaning. “When you were the First Prince, you had the support of many nobles and ministers, and you even oversaw an exclusive cultivation resource zone. Surely you must still have some reserves?”
The First Prince shook his head. “After our father appointed my fifth brother as the crown prince, most of the cultivation resources in my possession were confiscated. Although I still have some reserves, they’re far from enough to sustain me until I reach the Sage Realm.”
Was he hinting for financial aid? Xu Lian himself barely had enough cultivation resources to spare, let alone fund the First Prince. Moreover, befriending the First Prince was merely a casual move on his part – a spare chess piece. Investing cultivation resources in such a piece would be a bad decision.
Xu Lian sighed helplessly. “Even though I’ve been appointed as the overseer of an exclusive cultivation resource zone, as you know, each zone is guarded by a Quasi-Supreme. Even as an overseer, I don’t have much access to cultivation resources. My only option is to continuously refine the Metamorphosis Elixir in order to earn rewards from the court”.
Of course, the First Prince understood. His earlier remark had been made casually, without much hope. “It seems that I’m destined to be an idle duke for the rest of my life.”
Xu Lian replied, “Regardless, we’ve known each other for a long time. Even though I can’t help you, I can visit you from time to time. Come, let’s drink.”
The two of them drank cup after cup. One jar wasn’t enough, so the First Prince brought several jars of wine from the mansion’s cellar, and they drank until they were completely satisfied.
After finishing the wine, Xu Lian didn’t linger. He promptly crossed through space and departed.
A spare chess piece was just that – a casual acquaintance. Drinking and chatting was fine, but investing anything substantial into such a relationship was not something he was willing to do. It was as simple as that.
Upon their return to the imperial capital, Xu Lian and Ning Meixue held a wedding ceremony and officially became Dao partners.
They hadn’t planned for anything grand-just a simple formality-but many nobles and ministers came to congratulate them, and the event unintentionally grew into a large celebration.
This was mainly because Xu Lian was already a high-ranking official as the overseer of an exclusive cultivation resource zone. Furthermore, this was a union between Marquis Qin’s household and Marquis Ning’s household, making it an occasion the nobility and ministers couldn’t afford to ignore.
“Congratulations, Second Sister and Third Brother. May you have a blessed child soon. When that happens, I’ll have to become your child’s aunt,” Huangpu Shuyi said with a light laugh as she offered a toast, her words drawing strange looks from the gathered nobles and ministers.
Prince Rui coughed twice, prompting Huangpu Shuyi to realize her faux pas. She blushed slightly and said nothing further.
Zhao Ming sat silently, drinking with a sullen expression on his face. He ignored the nobles and ministers who approached him with toasts, leaving them feeling awkward and unwelcome.
Fortunately, Marquis Zhao was an experienced and tactful man who knew how to deal with all sides. He stepped in to accept the toasts from the nobles and ministers on Zhao Ming’s behalf, citing that Zhao Ming was not feeling well. This defused the situation and prevented any unintended insult.
Marquis Qin and Marquis Ning, on the other hand, exchanged toasts with broad smiles. The two families had long been close friends, and this marriage alliance brought them even closer together. They were completely satisfied.
Overall, the wedding went well-aside from Zhao Ming’s sullen demeanor, it could be considered a success where both hosts and guests enjoyed themselves.
Five days after the wedding, Xu Lian and Ning Meixue officially took charge of their exclusive cultivation resource zone.
This resource zone had previously been under the control of the First Prince, but now it was under the supervision of Xu Lian. It came fully equipped with over a thousand apprentice alchemists, tens of thousands of gardeners, abundant medicinal herbs, and various rare beasts and exotic animals – all ready for the refinement of Metamorphosis Elixir .
With a slight sweep of his Divine Sense, Xu Lian detected the presence of a Quasi-Supreme guarding the area. He knew that once the Metamorphosis Elixir was refined, it would be nearly impossible to smuggle it away under the watchful eyes of the Quasi-Supreme. However, he had already devised a plan and wasn’t in a rush.
“Light the furnace and begin refining Metamorphosis Elixir,” Xu Lian calmly instructed as he began the process.
Ning Meixue said softly, “Husband, I’m still not very familiar with refining Metamorphosis Elixir. You must be tired.”
Now that they were officially Dao partners, she no longer addressed him as “junior brother”. She had started calling him “husband” on their wedding night, and over the past five days, Xu Lian had gotten quite used to the term – and liked it.
Xu Lian smiled. “It’s okay. I can handle the refinement on my own. Just watch and learn.”
He sat cross-legged, forming intricate hand seals and casting spell after spell to activate the pill furnace. Occasionally, he would direct the apprentice alchemists to add specific herbs or materials harvested from the rare beasts.
Seeing his focused expression, Ning Meixue gazed at him with affectionate eyes. She pulled out a fragrant handkerchief from her sleeve and gently wiped away the imaginary sweat from his forehead.
“Meixue, you don’t have to worry about me. I’ve just started refining – I’m not tired at all.”
Xu Lian truly cherished her. Her care reminded him of the warmth he had felt from his senior sister in the past – a feeling that, like aged wine, grew richer and more profound.
Just as the two were basking in their tender moment, a graceful figure appeared. Who else could it be but Huangpu Shuyi?
She dramatically retrieved a bundle from her storage pouch, briefly displayed it, and said with a light laugh, “Second sister, third brother, I’ve come to rely on you!”
Ning Meixue subtly furrowed her brows. She had long suspected that Huangpu Shuyi’s relationship with her junior brother was unusual, and now she was almost certain of it. “Little junior sister, shouldn’t you be with Master Chi Sui? Why did you come to our exclusive cultivation resource zone?”
Huangpu Shuyi smiled. “Master said that Third Brother’s alchemical skills have surpassed his own, so following Third Brother is just as good.”
Ning Meixue was silent for a moment before replying, “This huge cultivation resource area is too much for my husband and I to handle alone. We wanted to recruit some disciples anyway. Since you’re here, Little Sister, you can take charge of managing the medicinal herbs and rare beasts.”
Huangpu Shuyi glanced at Xu Lian, who was deeply focused on refining the Metamorphosis Elixir . Seeing that he showed no reaction, she nodded and replied, “Alright, I’ll follow Second Sister’s arrangements.”