Chapter 164: From Arrogance to Humility? There

That night, Chu Danqing arrived at the Provincial Governor's mansion on time.

Under the guidance of a steward, Chu Danqing took his seat without issue.

Da Bao stood to the left, while the beast-masked soldiers stood nearby.

Da Bao's eyes kept drifting toward the food on Chu Danqing's table—he clearly wanted to eat.

Seeing this, Chu Danqing occasionally tossed him morsels, making Da Bai itch to poke his head out and taste too.

But Da Bai had no physical form and couldn't appear, so Chu Danqing immediately pressed him back with spiritual power and fed him a large gulp of it.

Unlike Da Bao, Da Bai's daily energy maintenance came from consuming Chu Danqing's spiritual power.

There was no need to worry about boredom—Chu Danqing shattered the Five Elements' primordial spirits and blended them into his spiritual power to create varied flavors and textures.

For example, crushing fire primordial spirit and solidifying it with spiritual power, then adding a touch of wood primordial spirit, gave the spiritual power a grilled flavor.

Don't ask how Chu Danqing knew—Da Bai shared his senses to some degree.

After all, he was Chu Danqing's household immortal; their bond was far tighter.

So Chu Danqing could taste the flavor of his own spiritual power.

He learned all this thanks to the teachings of the Beast Spirit Sect's Enforcement Elder.

The man had ill intentions, yes, but under the Paradise's pressure, he truly taught skills.

Still, this scene was unseemly at a banquet—but Chu Danqing didn't care what others thought.

Jia Simou didn't just invite Chu Danqing—he invited a host of high officials, and Chu Danqing saw the dimension apostle in casual attire.

But he wasn't seated at the banquet; he stood beside Jia Simou as a guard, eyes fixed hungrily on Chu Danqing.

The incident where Chu Danqing sent Jia Simou three severed heads had cost him dearly.

So he feared Chu Danqing would cause more trouble at the banquet.

Mainly because he had no confidence he could defeat Chu Danqing—Xue Ying and the other mechanical apostle were obscure, but he'd heard of Qing Jian's reputation.

One of the most prominent apostles in the reserve rank, only to die as casually as that in Chu Danqing's hands—clear proof of his strength.

"Young Master Chu is a Battalion Commander of the Blue Robe Guard, once a confidant of the late Emperor."

"The Empress Dowager reorganized the guard into the Iron Armor Guard—why didn't you rejoin as an official, and instead became a wandering sorcerer?"

After the dancing and music ended, Jia Simou drank a cup of wine and spoke.

His words amounted to: I've uncovered your background.

"Oh," Chu Danqing replied with just that one syllable, then picked up a roasted chicken and fed it to Da Bao. "Bring me more substantial dishes."

His indifference froze the banquet's atmosphere.

He carried himself with utter impunity—nothing like a man whose secrets had been exposed.

The intelligence he'd gathered was just a low-grade version of what he'd actually lived through.

The real version of him once held absolute power in the Taichang court.

If this were a perfect replica, he'd need a powerful general friend who held military command and a Shuo Emperor who called him "Second Father."

He could even say in the capital: "I've heard the Empress Dowager still has her charm—tell her to tie her hair up and cool me down."

Then the final boss wouldn't be the Empress Dowager—it would be him.

Fortunately, Chu Danqing wasn't that kind of man, so none of this would happen.

"Young Master Chu has quite the appetite," Jia Simou's eyes turned cold. "Bring Young Master Chu all the substantial dishes he wants—unlimited."

"I hope Young Master Chu doesn't choke himself to death." His words carried a double meaning—a warning to cease his provocations.

Chu Danqing understood, but ignored it.

Let the Paradise give him another restricted side quest—if not, he had nothing to fear.

He was doing this to push the Paradise into assigning him side quests and accelerate his trial.

Otherwise, how could he possibly find the Nine Tripod Maps in such a short time on his own?

He completed one side quest and gained two Nine Tripod Maps—efficiency maximized.

"No problem. If I can't finish it, I'll take it home," Chu Danqing said he could pack it up.

As dish after dish piled onto Chu Danqing's table, Da Bao devoured everything without restraint.

Grease dripped from his mouth—he was ecstatic.

Chu Danqing was happy too—he let Da Bao eat his fill, saving him Paradise points.

These flavorless foods were cheap in the Paradise, but even cheap things cost money.

If it was free, he didn't mind.

Poison? The Son of Heaven's Heaven could neutralize it, and Da Bai could restore HP.

The rate of food delivery couldn't keep up with Da Bao's eating speed—he even activated Blood Fury to eat faster.

Until every last dish on the table was gone.

Jia Simou's face darkened further—all the meat had been consumed.

Vegetables, fruits, rice, and noodles remained—but Chu Danqing had asked for substantial dishes; serving these would be humiliating.

After eating, Da Bao held out his hands for Chu Danqing to wipe them.

As Chu Danqing took a towel from his storage space and wiped Da Bao's hands and face, he said: "Judge Jia, you see—not only did you fail to overwhelm me, you can't even make me take food home."

"Good, good, good," Jia Simou laughed bitterly. "Young Master Chu has quite the appetite."

"Thank you for the compliment," Chu Danqing wiped Da Bao's face and hands, tucked the towel back into his storage space to wash and reuse later, then stood. "I've eaten. I've drunk."

"Judge Jia, are we going to discuss real business? If not, I'm going to bed—it's late."

He'd eaten his fill; if Jia Simou kept wasting his time, he wouldn't tolerate it.

He had no affection for Lin Yuan City's elite—and no reason to show them courtesy.

Jia Simou's anger faded; he clapped his hands.

The music and dancers vanished instantly; the guests followed suit, then the doors slammed shut.

Those remaining were the elite of Lin Yuan City.

Soon, Jia Simou's trusted subordinates carried in three large chests.

Opening them revealed dazzling opulence.

The first chest was filled with solid gold bricks, packed tight without a gap.

The second held jewels and ornaments—each piece bore unmistakable craftsmanship and value.

The third contained rare medicinal herbs; the moment it opened, a rich herbal scent filled the air.

"Young Master Chu, we're merely running errands for the Empress Dowager."

"The Emperor knows we are loyal ministers."

"If the Emperor needs us, we can run errands for him too," Jia Simou changed his tone.

He sensed the coming political storm.

The Chancellor, Ma Yunfeng, was returning home soon.

Coincidentally, Ma Yunfeng's hometown was Lin Yuan City.

Ma Yunfeng was a diehard loyalist, staunchly advocating the Empress Dowager's return of power and supporting reform.

His return home alone wouldn't be an issue—but the Yang Wenju incident had just occurred, and its ripples hadn't settled.

Then there was the matter of the heavy cavalry at the port.

No need to guess—it was clearly the Shuo Emperor's secret army.

A former Blue Robe Guard Battalion Commander enters the city to investigate, accompanied by hidden heavy cavalry; now the Chancellor returns home. Combined, these events clearly signal Lin Yuan City as the first battleground for power seizure.

In this context, the Yang Wenju and Bai Xiaohe incidents make a perfect opening.

As Provincial Governor, and one who runs errands for the Empress Dowager, he would be the first to fall.

Chu Danqing realized Jia Simou had misinterpreted his identity due to his earlier actions.

But the sudden shift in attitude made him wary.

He smiled meaningfully: "Judge Jia, you run errands for the Empress Dowager because this world isn't hers."

"This world belongs to the Emperor. Do you think he needs you to run errands for him?"

He didn't know the true situation in the capital, nor did he know Jia Simou's true stance.

So he'd bluff for now.

"Of course not—the Emperor is the sovereign of all under heaven."

"But there are times when he finds it inconvenient, aren't there?" Jia Simou flattered first, then hinted he could switch sides.

Chu Danqing said nothing, only tapped his finger on the table.

His 13-point Charisma now granted him overwhelming authority, radiating an oppressive aura that silenced everyone present.

All waited for Chu Danqing's reply.

"Three days from now, I'll give you my answer," Chu Danqing said.

"Of course—you wouldn't dare decide on your own," Jia Simou exhaled in relief. "Please speak well of me to the Emperor."

Chu Danqing glanced at the three chests. "Leave the gifts here. We'll discuss them after the matter is settled."

It was just an excuse—he wouldn't accept them.

Not because they were unappealing, but because he knew: once he accepted them, breaking the deadlock would require force alone.

"Those who eat from another's hand are bound by their mouth" wasn't empty words.

You can accept a gift and do nothing—but others won't think that; they'll assume you've joined Lin Yuan City's faction.

Explaining yourself would only make it worse—turning you into a traitor.

He could sense it—hidden experts lurked around the banquet, all as formidable as Liu Bai.

The martial top scholar isn't that common—Liu Bai passed as martial top scholar not because of his personal combat strength, but because he impressed the examiners with his skills in troop training, military maneuvers, and strategic essays.

He's on the path of a commanding general, not a frontline soldier charging into battle.

Merely being strong won't make you martial top scholar in Da Shuo; true martial top scholars must be equally accomplished in both literature and martial arts.

"Lord Chu conducts affairs with great propriety," Jia Simou flattered, then shifted tone: "But this is merely a token for your trouble, too modest to be worthy—please—"

"I said no, it's no.," Chu Danqing cut him off, then rose: "That's settled. Wait for my word."

Saying this, he left with Da Bao and the Beast-Mask Warriors, utterly disregarding their dignity.

He chose three days from now precisely because Chen Jiunan, the leader of the Zhao Ming Society, will enter the city that day.

Chu Danqing must first meet Chen Jiunan to learn about the Zhao Ming Society before deciding his next move.

(End of Chapter)