C6 The Rite of Induction

"Miss Wu..." Squirt, with his face bruised and swollen, was on the verge of tears.

Qin Xuan, looking at his sniveling, tear-streaked face, expressed his disgust, "Cry if you must, but keep your tears and snot off me."

At those words, Squirt's tears flowed even more intensely.

"Your Highness, do you scorn me? Oh, I am at fault. I shall tidy myself up and take my leave to the laundry department."

While the master and servant were having their heartfelt farewell, Yu Wu noticed Wu Ji had left Yang Chan by herself and quickly approached her. Meanwhile, the young junior sister apprentice, forgetting past grievances, ran to her senior sister Yang Chan's aid. Yang Chan, with a hateful gaze, kept her eyes fixed on Wu Ji.

A defeated foe was not worth another moment of her time.

Wu Ji then turned to face Yu Wu, who had stepped forward, "Your sect has long been nourished by the dynasty. The world is vast, and all within its bounds belong to the king, and all who dwell within are his subjects. You, a mere disciple of the Grayhands, dare to show disrespect to the Fourteenth Prince. I wonder if it's your sect that fails to regard the dynasty with due respect, or if it's you, as a disciple, who lacks this vision!"

Wu Ji was breathtakingly beautiful, and had she not spoken so abruptly, Yu Wu might have even dared to challenge his senior fellow apprentice, Yu Qing.

But given the circumstances, here he was, a proud disciple of the Grayhands, being publicly challenged by a woman in the grandest tavern of the Imperial City. If he swallowed this insult, would he not become the world's laughingstock?

"It seems there are still those who would go to great lengths to defend our dynasty's Fourteenth Prince," Yu Wu said with a cold laugh, his expression darkening.

"I merely spoke the truth. Who doesn't know that the Fourteenth Prince lacks ambition? Born into royalty, he should take the world's affairs as his own. Now, when martial prowess is revered in every province, what if enemies invade one day? As a pillar of the dynasty, with no martial cultivation, he might be spared the duty of protecting the realm, but should he become a liability, captured by foes, wouldn't that turn our dynasty into the world's laughingstock?"

The second floor was abuzz with discussions. Beyond this dynasty lay others, and in recent years, our borders have seen relentless invasions, making the cultivation of martial arts a top priority in the dynasty's deliberations. For an emperor's heir to lack such cultivation was indeed a matter of disgrace.

Wu Ji was about to speak when a somewhat slender hand enveloped hers. She looked at the familiar face before her, feeling the warmth emanating from their clasped hands, and her brow furrowed slightly in discomfort. Before she could react, Qin Xuan released her hand with a gentle smile and said somewhat sheepishly, "This is a man's affair. It's not right for you, a woman, to always be in the limelight on my behalf."

"Don't overexert yourself," Wu Ji cautioned, glancing at Yu Wu before addressing Qin Xuan.

"How long have we known each other? When have you ever seen me act recklessly?" Qin Xuan replied with a warm smile. "Let me handle this. If my father learns that you've been in the spotlight for me again, I'll surely face a thrashing when I return."

With that, Qin Xuan gestured to Qingzhu to look after Wu Ji, then he lifted his head, the previously gentle expression in his eyes replaced by a piercing gaze as sharp as a blade, directed at Yu Wu who stood arrogantly a few steps away.

"You're involved in the Rite of Induction as well, aren't you?" Qin Xuan asked, his voice icy.

At the sound of Qin Xuan's voice, everyone from Squirt to Wu Ji, including Qingzhu and the two guards who had ejected Yulong, turned in astonishment. Qin Xuan had become the center of everyone's attention.

While outsiders were unaware, those who frequented the palace knew the truth. Qin Xuan's martial veins had been inconspicuous since his youth, a fact that was no longer a secret. Perhaps for this reason, the fourteenth prince differed from his combative siblings. He was known for his gentle nature, never once engaging in conflict. At times, his mildness was such that even the palace eunuchs with a modicum of power disregarded him. Frankly, he was seen as weak.

Yet today, he boldly confronted Yu Wu, who had reached the fifth level of the Innate Realm, a move that took everyone by surprise.

"Your boldness to step forward, Fourteenth Prince, is truly unexpected," Yu Wu remarked, standing with his hands clasped behind his back. His green attire billowed, accentuating his striking appearance, yet his gaze toward Qin Xuan was exceptionally cold.

He was certainly no waste.

To Yu Wu, Qin Xuan was nothing more than a prince with an insignificant Martial Meridian, utterly unworthy of standing before him. Among the Grayhands, he was considered to have the most extraordinary cultivation talent, second only to the senior fellow apprentice, Yu Qing. Frankly, within the sect, Qin Xuan would be deemed unfit even to serve as a lowly disciple.

Yu Wu's surprise was evident when Qin Xuan took a stand.

In his view, Qin Xuan was the type of person who should always kneel, quivering at the feet of the mighty.

"However, your decision to stand up is quite timely," Yu Wu said, his voice cool, as if he held Qin Xuan's fate in his hands. "The dynasty's decree states that in a duel, each party bears responsibility for their own life or death. I've been looking forward to testing your skills, Your Highness."

"There's no need to hurry," Qin Xuan replied, his face betraying no emotion. "The Rite of Induction is in two days. How about we settle our differences there?"

Their eyes met, sparking an air charged with animosity and the threat of violence.

Qin Xuan's words sent a ripple of excitement through the crowd on the second floor. The Fourteenth Prince, devoid of any cultivation, was actually going to participate in the Rite of Induction? This was no trivial matter; once participants stepped onto the stage, they faced a genuine life-or-death situation. It didn't matter if one was a prince or even the reigning Emperor—if defeated, one could only blame their own lack of skill.

"Your Highness, please reconsider!" Squirt pleaded, suddenly dropping to his knees, his face streaked with tears and snot. "I only took a minor hit; it's nothing serious. But you mustn't ascend that stage—it's not for you!"

"Since the Prince has extended a personal invitation, how could I refuse without being accused of disrespecting the dynasty?" Yu Wu's eyes gleamed with a sharp intent to kill as he addressed Qin Xuan. "I shall humbly accept your challenge. In two days, we'll face off on the stage of the Rite of Induction."

Originally, he had simply wanted to publicly humiliate Qin Xuan, but he hadn't anticipated that Qin Xuan would be bold enough to challenge him to a duel on the pavilion. He wasn't sure whether to label the fourteenth prince as foolish or courageous.

"Let's go."

Yu Wu, accompanied by Yang Chan and Qingluo's junior sister apprentice, left the Golden Feast. Before Qin Xuan could utter a word, Wu Ji was already giving him a death glare that sent shivers down his spine.

"Hehe, my dear wife."

"Hmm?" Wu Ji's eyes narrowed menacingly, "Keep up that slick talk, and I might just rip out your tongue!"