At this juncture, Bing Ming had stopped his advance, gazing at Ye Jingyu from a distance. He performed a cupped-fist salute and stated calmly, "Brother Ye, I am completely defeated today and accept it wholly. This battle has benefited me greatly. I shall take my leave now..." Without waiting for Ye Jingyu to respond, he turned and swept away into the distance, vanishing from sight within a few breaths...
"Hey, that Bing..." Ye Jingyu feigned an attempt to call him back, but finding Bing Ming utterly gone without a trace, he sighed, withdrew his power of thought, and landed softly on the ground. Turning around, he saw the Crown Prince and his entourage not far off, his face immediately registering surprise...
"Aiya, Aiya, Aiya... Your Highness the Crown Prince, why are you running around in such a remote place instead of staying at the palace doing your duties?" Ye Jingyu cried out loudly, rushing towards the Prince with unrestrained mannerisms.
The Crown Prince nearly spat blood. What kind of talk was that? Was he supposed to stay cooped up in the palace every day? No, he managed the court affairs; how could that be called 'doing duties'? This fellow had such vicious tongue...
"Heh heh, what are you saying, Lord of Zhongyong? This is the Emperor's hunting ground. This time, I came with my brothers for the hunt. As for you, Lord of Zhongyong, what brings you here? And that person just now..." Although greatly puzzled, the Crown Prince maintained a faint smile on his face. After all, this person before him, despite a modest noble title, was someone who didn't even need to kneel before his own father, the Emperor...
His status was beyond special...
"Oh, that person was a master I encountered half a year ago in the Western Chu Empire. We agreed to a match today, and I managed a slight victory..." Ye Jingyu interrupted the Crown Prince casually.
"Heh heh, Lord of Zhongyong is indeed unmatched in martial prowess, winning another grand prize for our Southern Cloud Empire. That expert from the Western Chu Empire couldn't even last three moves in your hands..." The Crown Prince offered insincere praise, while Luo Ruofeng beside him rolled his eyes furiously. This fellow, even if he was going to lie, couldn't be this blatant, pulling the Western Chu Empire into it?
"Heh heh, Your Highness overpraises me. It was merely by luck. By the way, since Your Highness and the various Princes have come for the hunt, I, being of humble status, dare not disturb you. I shall take my leave now..." Ye Jingyu said, turning to depart...
"Hold it right there, Lord of Zhongyong! Lord of Zhongyong is personally enfeoffed by the Emperor, one of the greatest meritorious officials of our Southern Cloud Empire. Today, you defeated a master from the Western Chu and brought glory to our Empire—how can you claim humble status? Since we met here, Lord of Zhongyong should join this humble Prince in hunting in Mount Qishan..." Despite his inner displeasure toward Ye Jingyu, the Crown Prince was still the Crown Prince. Since Ye Jingyu claimed his status was too low to join the hunt, if he said nothing, wouldn't it imply he looked down upon him?
If that happened, what would the other meritorious officials think? They would only see that he only cared for the Imperial Clan, making it impossible to win hearts and minds later on.
Therefore, despite a hundred reasons not to, the Crown Prince had to say these words...
"Ah, since Your Highness insists, then I shall respectfully obey..." Ye Jingyu wore an expression of reluctance, which caused Luo Ruofeng to roll his eyes repeatedly...
"Someone, prepare a steed for the Lord of Zhongyong..." The Crown Prince was momentarily stunned that Ye Jingyu had actually accepted so readily. However, to showcase his magnanimity, he ordered a subordinate nearby.
"Thank you for Your Highness's kindness, but I already have a mount and do not require one prepared. Shhh..." After speaking, Ye Jingyu whistled, and a white shadow bolted out from the distant thicket...
It was a monstrous creature the size of an ox, covered in white scales, yet possessing a pair of goat horns on its back. From afar, it resembled a colossal mountain goat. Upon drawing closer, one could see its four limbs ended in sharp claws, and a pair of sharp little claws sprouted from its neck. Beneath these small claws, a gaping maw was faintly visible. Only above this monstrous mouth rested its head, topped by a pair of small horns—it looked utterly terrifying...
When this beast appeared, everyone present was instantly shocked. A fierce, baleful aura surged from its body, causing even the Crown Prince's own mount, the One-Horned Dragon Lion, to recoil in fear.
Only Luo Ling'er's eyes flashed with a hint of amusement upon seeing the beast, for this was the true form of an adult Taotie...
Little Taotao, though not fully grown, could easily manifest its adult appearance with its current power...
However, serving as Ye Jingyu's mount, Little Taotao felt deeply wronged, involuntarily recalling its previous defiance when charging into the Heavenly Gang Mountain Range...
Ye Jingyu leaped onto Little Taotao's back, gripping one of the massive horns. He looked at the stunned crowd and calmly said, "Your Highness, shall we depart now!"
"Yes, yes, depart, depart!" The Crown Prince finally recovered, urging his One-Horned Dragon Lion toward Mount Qishan. Internally, he cursed Ye Jingyu for being so shameless—he even had his mount ready! What puzzled the Prince, however, was when Ye Jingyu acquired such a monster...
A beast capable of frightening a One-Horned Dragon Lion was no ordinary wild beast.
As for the princesses and noble ladies, they were not terrified by Little Taotao's current form. Instead, they found themselves increasingly intrigued by Ye Jingyu riding it. A man of great power, the Lord of Zhongyong personally appointed by the Emperor, and now seemingly the Grand Commander of the Cloud Guard—such a talent was certainly no less impressive than General Xiao Geng. Especially since his looks were so striking; marrying him wouldn't be a bad prospect...
Xiao Geng was soon to marry a princess, diminishing his charm by half, whereas Ye Jingyu held considerable power in court. Most importantly, the powerful sword strike Ye Jingyu had just executed had deeply shaken them; seeing it firsthand was far more convincing than merely hearing about it, wasn't it?
Only Luo Ling'er's lips curved into a faint smile. Seeing Little Taotao appear, she understood that everything Ye Jingyu had prepared was done for her sake...
As for Xiao Geng, when his gaze inadvertently fell upon the subtle upturn of Luo Ling'er's lips, his heart felt as if something had torn it apart...
She was about to become his wife; how could she still be so captivated by this man?
Ye Jingyu, what exactly am I lacking compared to you...
Xiao Geng's eyes quickly turned blood-red with suppressed rage.
At that moment, a great eagle happened to fly across the sky. Xiao Geng, desperate to prove himself, brightened his eyes, slapped the back of his white mount, and charged towards the Crown Prince...