Chapter 24: These two boys are quite astute!

After three rounds of wine, Li Chen had formed a preliminary impression of Liu Hao and Wu Qi.

One was a disciple of the great noble Liu clan, whose ancestors had once earned glorious military exploits, though they had declined over the past two centuries.

The other was the son of the governor of Huju City, a crucial stronghold of the Tiance Dynasty, surrounded by wild forests teeming with demonic beasts.

Their cultivation bases were respectively late-stage Void-Shattering and early-stage Void-Shattering, and even Li Chen thought they trained well.

Of course, “well” here meant compared to the vast majority of cultivators.

After all, they were among the top prodigies of the imperial capital, their worth still considerable.

But they could not be compared to Li Chen—no one could match him.

The reason the Second Prince Li Xian dared to be so arrogant was that, at his age, he had already reached the Observation of Heaven realm—two full realms higher than Liu Hao and Wu Qi.

Yet Li Chen was two realms above Li Xian, and much younger too; that was precisely why Li Xian had fled with his tail between his legs back then.

Li Chen enjoyed this meal—he had met two promising young talents.

Both men impressed him with their poise and conversation.

But Chu Ruoyan was dissatisfied—she had kept her head down, eating and drinking, unable to engage Li Chen at all.

At first, Chu Ruoyan had assumed Liu Hao and Wu Qi would cause trouble.

Their unprovoked flattery could only mean deceit or theft!

In the past, she had enjoyed watching men fight over her—it proved her charm.

Sigh, being beautiful came with such annoyances.

But today, she felt none of that annoyance.

Liu Hao and Wu Qi were indeed vying for attention, but they were competing to flatter another man, completely ignoring her.

It gave Chu Ruoyan a sense of being discarded.

Moreover, after drinking, the three men grew even more animated, leaving her feeling like a mere guest eating free food at the banquet.

Had it not been for Li Chen’s status, Liu Hao and Wu Qi might already have been calling him brother.

Chu Ruoyan’s disadvantage was her lack of experience in groveling.

When alone with Li Chen, he always led the conversation.

Liu Hao and Wu Qi were professional grovelers, having practiced for years.

Switching who they groveled to? That was no problem—they could do it effortlessly.

Watching them made Chu Ruoyan’s head ache; she resolved to practice groveling toward Li Chen, or she’d never get the chance.

Having drunk too much in silence, Chu Ruoyan decided to visit the latrine and temporarily left the private chamber.

Seeing Chu Ruoyan leave, Liu Hao rejoiced inwardly—he knew his chance had come.

He poured Li Chen another cup of wine, using the moment to draw close and whisper: “Brother Li Chen, I have a cousin-sister of mine—her beauty is unparalleled, her figure flawless, curvaceous and alluring. If you’re interested, I’ll arrange it for you without fail.”

Before Li Chen could respond, Wu Qi was stunned.

What the hell? You’re playing it like this?

To curry favor with the new emperor, you’re willing to do anything?

Even resorting to a beauty trap—how utterly despicable!

Sensing Wu Qi’s glare, Liu Hao shot him a defiant look: So what? Dare you try?

Wu Qi instantly scanned his mind, then flashed a wicked smile.

Raising his cup to toast Li Chen, he said: “Brother Li Chen, look at that fellow’s taste—how could his cousin-sister possibly be beautiful? To be honest, I have an aunt—she’s a peerless beauty, still exuding charm. But don’t worry, she’s still unmarried. If you wish, I’ll have her come here tonight!”

This remark enraged Liu Hao.

You mention your aunt, fine—but why insult me? First you steal my goddess, now you’re stealing my god? You’ve got no shame!

Emboldened by wine, Liu Hao pointed at Wu Qi: “What’s wrong with me? Even if I’m ugly, my cousin-sister is a hundred times more beautiful than your aunt!”

Wu Qi, now also angered, retorted: “Laughable! My aunt is a thousand times more beautiful than your sister—and as for figure, your sister’s a child by comparison!”

“I haven’t beaten you in days—you’re asking for it.”

“Bring it on! If I don’t knock your teeth out today, I’ll take your surname!”

Chu Ruoyan, returning just then, was utterly bewildered—how in the world had these two nearly come to blows over a man while she was gone?

What the hell just happened? Someone tell me!

Seeing this, Li Chen understood—they must have guessed his identity, which explained their behavior.

Liu Hao, the most perceptive of the two, dared not take any advantage of Li Chen.

That’s why he offered to introduce his cousin-sister—ensuring Li Chen’s status remained clearly superior.

More cleverly, he didn’t mention it in front of Chu Ruoyan, avoiding awkwardness and allowing him to observe Li Chen’s true reaction.

Had he spoken of it before Chu Ruoyan, he’d have been hopelessly crude.

Wu Qi lacked Liu Hao’s perceptiveness, but he reacted quickly—he caught on too.

!

So he immediately introduced his aunt, elevating Li Chen even further.

Li Chen deduced from this that they likely knew he was the emperor—otherwise, why would two strangers, upon first meeting, frantically offer him beautiful women?

But Li Chen saw through them—and chose not to expose them.

Why refuse two men eager to please him? After all, he enjoyed it.

He had never pretended to be pure—he liked what he liked.

Li Chen even thought: these two boys are quite astute!

They know how to cater to his tastes—truly promising talents.

Seeing them about to fight, Li Chen merely raised a hand—and the commotion ceased instantly.

No matter how angry they were, neither dared cause trouble before Li Chen.

By the time the meal ended, night had fallen.

Liu Hao had already settled the bill, leaving Wu Qi no chance.

Watching this, Chu Ruoyan felt a flicker of doubt—when they chased me, were they ever this attentive?

At this point, Liu Hao and Wu Qi had no reason to linger with Li Chen.

Their goal for today had been achieved—they had made a favorable impression. There would be plenty of future opportunities.

As they stepped out of Zui Xian Pavilion, they bowed respectfully to Li Chen and took their leave.

The evening had had minor hiccups, but Li Chen’s main objective had been met.

Yet the system task remained incomplete.

But with over ten days left, Li Chen was still observing the system’s patterns—he wasn’t in a hurry.

Just as he prepared to escort Chu Ruoyan back to her residence, a violent surge of energy rippled through the surroundings.

As a Saint Realm cultivator, Li Chen’s senses were sharp.

It seemed a powerful figure was fighting nearby—based on the intensity of meridian manipulation, at least a Six Harmonies Realm cultivator.

“Strange—this is the busiest commercial street in the imperial capital. Who dares cause such a disturbance in broad daylight?”

(End of Chapter)