Chapter 6: What

Xinhuo Combat Academy is one of the Five Great Academies of the TianCe Empire.

It is even ranked among the top institutions on the entire continent.

Many of the instructors at Xinhuo Combat Academy are former generals who retired from the front-line camps.

The faculty strength is extremely formidable; if students earn the approval of these teachers, a single letter of recommendation could secure them a thriving career in the military.

In fact, there are three combat academies in this region, and Li Chen merely happened to arrive here first.

I have to say, the imperial capital is truly huge; it took him several hours to get here.

Along the way, Li Chen noticed something odd.

Two streets back, he had clearly heard loud quarreling from a nearby treasure shop—two powerful cultivators had both set their sights on the same artifact and were threatening to break each other’s legs.

He could even hear the sound of objects being smashed and the fluctuation of meridians being activated.

Li Chen had laughed at the time, thinking he might finally complete his mission.

But when he entered the shop, he found it perfectly peaceful.

The two cultivators who had just been shouting about breaking each other’s legs were now shoulder-to-shoulder, acting as if they were close friends.

Li Chen noticed that several people in the shop were glancing toward Grand General Guo Po Yun—he immediately understood what was going on.

After leaving the treasure shop and entering an empty alley, Li Chen suddenly stopped.

The two elderly ministers behind him dared not walk ahead, so they naturally halted beside and slightly behind him.

“Who are the hidden guards in that shop?”

His question caused the two ministers to instantly kneel on the ground.

As ministers, they feared not the Emperor’s anger, but his calm, indifferent tone—no one could guess what the Emperor was thinking.

“Your Majesty, they are my subordinates.”

Guo Po Yun began sweating profusely, for he knew he had likely failed.

The sudden incident at the treasure shop moments ago was not handled promptly by his men, resulting in an absurd scene—and when his subordinates looked to him for guidance, how could the Emperor not suspect?

Li Chen now understood why he had encountered no trouble along the way—it was this old fellow taking matters into his own hands to clear the path for him.

If he wanted to complete his mission, he first needed to find a way to send him away.

So Li Chen said, “You know I am traveling incognito. What I wish to see is the true capital. What you’ve done is no different from deceiving me.”

Guo Po Yun bowed his head and said, “Your servant admits his guilt. I merely wished to ensure Your Majesty would not be dragged into trouble.”

Li Chen sighed and said, “Enough. Return to your mansion and reflect for three days. Do not leave your premises.”

Upon hearing this punishment, Guo Po Yun exhaled in relief, thanked the Emperor, and departed the area, withdrawing all his hidden guards.

As a minister, one may not understand the Emperor’s thoughts—but one must understand his words.

Li Chen glanced at the wrinkled-faced Chancellor Zhao Wenyuan and asked if there were still any of his men nearby.

Zhao Wenyuan was a clever man; he seized the opportunity to say he was a civil official, with only a few elderly servants at home, portraying himself as a man of pristine integrity with no capacity to arrange such a large guard detail.

Hearing this, Li Chen nodded in satisfaction.

Along the way, Zhao Wenyuan acted like a steward—whenever Li Chen’s gaze lingered on something, he began explaining the place.

“Your Majesty, this is Xinhuo Combat Academy. The late Emperor also studied here during his days as a prince in seclusion.”

The academy’s main gate loomed before them, majestic and imposing, befitting a top-tier institution of the TianCe Dynasty.

Here, the number of young people passing by increased significantly—most were students of Xinhuo Combat Academy.

Since leaving the palace, several hours had passed, and Li Chen was slightly hungry; he entered a small eatery on a busy street and ordered something to eat. The waiter was quick-witted—he immediately rushed over, wiped the table and chairs clean, and asked what the two would like to order.

His movements were smooth and efficient, exuding the demeanor of a skilled practitioner.

Li Chen casually ordered some beef and wine, then glanced at the young waiter and asked, “Your skills are impressive. Why not seek a proper position?”

After all, Li Chen was now Emperor—he felt such talent was wasted here.

The waiter smiled awkwardly and replied, “To be honest, I’m a student at Xinhuo Combat Academy. My family is poor, so I work here to earn pocket money and avoid burdening them.”

He had clearly been asked this many times before—his answer was practiced and fluent.

Li Chen found nothing wrong with this—he admired such self-reliant youths from humble backgrounds.

Beside him, Chancellor Zhao Wenyuan observed silently, offering no opinion or comment.

Having spent time with Li Chen, he understood this new Emperor had his own way of thinking.

Zhao Wenyuan also knew the Emperor despised ministers like Guo Po Yun who acted on their own initiative—he would do only what Li Chen instructed, thereby avoiding mistakes.

!

For instance, during this meal, he could not lift his chopsticks until Li Chen did.

When Li Chen put down his chopsticks, Zhao Wenyuan must immediately do the same—even if he was still hungry.

This was what a “perfect” minister should do.

Guo Po Yun, learn well.

Just as Zhao Wenyuan felt satisfaction at earning the new Emperor’s approval, Li Chen shattered his perfect minister persona.

“Did you bring money?”

Of course, meals required payment—Li Chen had always eaten in the palace and never carried money.

“No.”

Zhao Wenyuan, as Chancellor, also never carried money.

The scene grew awkward.

Who could have imagined that the two most powerful figures in the TianCe Dynasty couldn’t scrape together a single tael of silver?

The only one who might have had money had been sent away by Li Chen.

The two men, who had just risen to stand, silently sat back down.

Li Chen thought: Zhao Wenyuan was a civil official with no cultivation—he’d need hours to run back and forth.

Must I wait here until nightfall?

Then I’ll have to go back myself and fetch the money to redeem Zhao Wenyuan.

I can’t just grab a random passerby and say, “I’m the new Emperor Li Chen—give me fifty taels of silver, and I’ll make you a Grand General when I return to the palace.”

Even after decades as Chancellor, Zhao Wenyuan couldn’t think of a better solution.

He couldn’t let the Emperor leave without paying.

If this got out, the other princes wouldn’t even need to rebel—they’d just laugh themselves to death.

The diners around them began staring, deepening the awkwardness.

Most importantly, the waiter had approached.

Zhao Wenyuan frantically patted his body, hoping to find something to pawn.

At that moment, a beautiful young woman suddenly sat down beside Li Chen.

(End of Chapter)