Among them, the eldest young master Luo Haitian commanded the most formidable force, with countless masters under his banner... Just based on what Luo Ruofeng knew, there were no fewer than four experts at the Grandmaster realm, not to mention those he was unaware of...
As for the second young master, Luo Muyan, he was equally ruthless, already a master of the Grandmaster realm himself, and he had amassed a significant following around him, only slightly weaker than the eldest young master...
The fourth young master Luo Muyang, the fifth young master Luo Hailong, and the sixth young master Luo Tiancheng were all mediocre figures, their strength not even measuring up to Luo Ruofeng's own. However, the seventh young master Luo Xiaoyuan was the most mysterious of all. Luo Ruofeng had no idea what realm his true strength had reached. Moreover, he was affable and his social network was only stronger, not weaker, than Luo Ruofeng's own... He was absolutely a major adversary in the fight for the throne of the Nation Lord...
After listening to Luo Ruofeng's exposition, Ye Jingyu's brows furrowed tightly. How was it that, apart from those few less worrying young masters, Luo Ruofeng's own faction seemed the weakest? He didn't even have a Grandmaster realm expert?
"Brother Ye, you are unaware. My eldest brother's mother is the Queen Mother, and behind him is the support of the Hai family, one of the four great families of the Kingdom. Coupled with our Father King's favor, his power is naturally stronger than ours. As for my second and seventh brothers, their maternal families are also influential martial arts lineages with profound backgrounds. Only my mother comes from a humble official's family, making it impossible to compare with them..." Seemingly sensing Ye Jingyu's confusion, Luo Ruofeng spoke without reservation...
"So that's how it is..." Ye Jingyu nodded, signaling his understanding...
"Alas, this is the sorrow of being in the royal family. Though we are brothers, we must scheme against one another..." Luo Ruofeng sighed deeply, his eyes filled with helplessness... Whether it was genuine or not was debatable...
Seeing Luo Ruofeng's helpless expression, Ye Jingyu said nothing. Forget the royal family; even in ordinary wealthy households with two or three sons, wouldn't there still be a life-and-death struggle?
Often, it was the children from poor families who banded together tightly, helping and caring for each other; it was among them that true familial affection resided...
Perhaps the simplest life in this world was the most beautiful happiness?
Money, wealth, and power merely caused people to lose themselves, didn't they...
"Third Brother, where did you find such magnificent warriors? Send a few over to carry my sedan chair for me! Huh... we have guests?" Just as Luo Ruofeng and Ye Jingyu were silently mourning the tragedy of fraternal conflict, a sound like silver bells suddenly drifted from outside. Then, a young girl in a light yellow gauze skirt rushed in from the doorway, bringing with her a wave of fragrance that instantly invigorated Ye Jingyu. He couldn't help but turn his head to look, and immediately, his eyes lit up, while his heart almost stopped beating in that instant...
A light yellow gauze skirt enveloped her graceful figure. Her long, raven-black hair cascaded down her back like a dark cloud drifting behind her. Her face was slightly rounded, not breathtakingly beautiful, but undeniably very charming. A cherry-like small mouth, a delicate nose—everything combined to form a lovely little beauty...
But what truly caused Ye Jingyu's heart to halt was that pair of eyes, as dark and lustrous as black gemstones. Those eyes were so bright, so utterly transparent, as if they were a clear pool capable of washing away all the filth in the world...
Or perhaps like a bright mirror, reflecting all the kindness in existence...
No matter how the world slandered or how dirty it became, there, within those depths, everything remained utterly clear...
In that moment, Ye Jingyu was deeply intoxicated, lost in that pair of innocent eyes...
At that moment, Ye Jingyu's stopped heart violently accelerated its rhythm, leaping wildly...
At that moment, Ye Jingyu's face, usually as unyielding as a city wall, flushed crimson...
At that moment, Ye Jingyu's long-unawakened heart... came alive...
At that moment, Ye Jingyu understood what it meant to fall in love at first sight...
Yes, in that very first glance, upon seeing her, he lost himself completely; his entire heart surrendered to her...
If his feelings for Jiu Feng were affection and gratitude, and his feelings for Hu Yanmeng were lust (ZnYu), then in this instant, he experienced what it meant to be truly moved, or perhaps... love...
He fell in love with this elf-like maiden at first sight...
It was so swift, so sudden, and so unexpected...
She possessed neither peerless beauty nor a stunning figure, yet Ye Jingyu was inexplicably captivated by those pure, innocent eyes...
Such love might seem superficial, perhaps too abrupt, but Ye Jingyu knew he was already hopelessly ensnared...
Time fell silent; space ceased its rotation. Ye Jingyu simply stared blankly at the girl, his mind wiped clean, leaving only endless anticipation...
"Heh heh, Ling'er, hurry over here. Let me introduce you. This is Brother Ye Jingyu I mentioned to you. If I hadn't run into Brother Ye in the Southern Desolate Forest last time, I might never have seen you again... Brother Ye... Brother Ye..." Luo Ruofeng smiled slightly, first introducing the girl, then turning to introduce her to Ye Jingyu. But as he was about to complete the introduction, he noticed Ye Jingyu standing there with a silly grin, gazing blankly at his sister...
"Ah... what?" After being called several times by Luo Ruofeng, Ye Jingyu finally snapped back to attention...
"Let me introduce you. This is my ninth sister, Luo Ling'er, my full blood sister..." Luo Ruofeng's brow furrowed slightly, but he still managed a smile as he spoke...
"Oh... Your commoner Ye Jingyu pays respects to Princess Ling'er..." Ye Jingyu quickly straightened up, stood formally, and bowed to Luo Ling'er. He naturally understood what Luo Ruofeng meant by 'full blood sister'—that they shared the same mother. However, his previously boiling heart could no longer settle...
"Pfft..."
"Princess is fine, but 'Princess Ling'er'? 'Ling'er' is not a name you can call so casually, you know?"
Luo Ling'er merely chuckled lightly...
"Ah..." Ye Jingyu froze, realizing that she was, after all, a princess, and addressing her by name so casually was indeed inappropriate...
"Heh heh, Brother Ye, don't mind Ling'er. She is just playing a joke on you. There are no outsiders here; how you address her is of no consequence," Luo Ruofeng interjected quickly, noticing Ye Jingyu's embarrassment...
"Mm-hmm, Ling'er was just joking. Brother Jing shouldn't be angry with Ling'er, okay?" Luo Ling'er grinned, revealing two rows of teeth as white and fine as jade...
Brother Jing? Uh... Are you Sister Rong?
"Of course not, certainly not..." he thought internally, but spoke aloud...
"Hehe, I knew Brother Jing wouldn't mind me. Hey, Third Brother, didn't you say Brother Jing was from the Southern Desolate Lands? Why isn't his skin dark like those big fellows outside? Instead, he's even fairer than me—he's practically a pretty boy!" Luo Ling'er's large eyes darted around, and she turned, pulling on her third brother's sleeve to talk...
Pretty boy?
Ugh... Hearing those three words, Ye Jingyu nearly fainted...
When had he become a pretty boy?