NOVEL NEXT Chapter 297: Greatness Lies in Tolerance and Open-Mindedness
Chapter 297: Greatness Lies in Tolerance and Open-Mindedness
On their journey, Lin Fengmian and his group encountered several waves of enemies. He refrained from taking action, leaving the task to Jun Fengya’s subordinates.
After all, Luo Xue’s earlier display of overwhelming strength in front of Jun Fengya had been too exaggerated, making it inconvenient for Lin Fengmian to act now.
Fortunately, although Jun Fengya’s subordinates were no match for Luo Xue, they were ferocious when it came to dealing with outsiders.
Moreover, the two princes didn’t seem intent on truly harming them-merely tracking their location. The people they sent were relatively weak, so the group didn’t face any major obstacles.
At noon, Jun Fengya received a message and frowned deeply.
Walking over to Lin Fengmian, she said helplessly, “Young Master Ye, we may have a problem. The worst has happened.”
“Oh?” Lin Fengmian replied with interest. “The First Prince and the Seventh Prince have joined forces?”
Jun Fengya hadn’t expected him to deduce the situation so quickly. She nodded solemnly.
“My eldest brother and seventh brother have always looked down on me because I’m a woman. Even when I tried to propose an alliance, they rejected me outright.”
“It seems that they are planning to work together to remove me from the competition first, and then work together with Fourth Brother to enter Junyan Palace.”
Lin Fengmian wasn’t surprised. Currently, there were only four people who truly had the power to fight for the throne.
Aside from the Fourth Prince, Jun Chengye, whose power was unparalleled, the other three were evenly matched. None of them could gain the upper hand on their own.
The best strategy was to join forces to eliminate one contender before negotiating a compromise with Jun Chengye.
Jun Fengya, having lost her advantage by attempting to recruit Lin Fengmian and being a woman, naturally became their shared target.
“Tell me about these two princes,” Lin Fengmian asked, his curiosity piqued.
Although Jun Yunshang had mentioned them before, her intelligence was notoriously unreliable.
Jun Fengya provided a detailed account, giving Lin Fengmian a clearer understanding of the two princes.
The first prince, Jun Zizhen, was the eldest son of the Heaven-Soaring Sword Saint. Although he was the legitimate heir by birth, he hadn’t been named Crown Prince.
This was because his mother was a beauty sent by the Blood Moon Empire, with no influence or roots in Junyan. She wasn’t even from the same clan.
Jun Zizhen’s poor background, coupled with his merely average talent, left him out of favor with the Heaven-Soaring Sword Saint.
Of course, “average talent” was a relative term – he was still a solid mid-stage Unity Realm cultivator.
For this Nine Dragon Throne Struggle, he had invested heavily to recruit a Void Realm expert, Bladewind Venerable.
He’d nearly exhausted his resources, resembling a gambler going all in to reclaim what he believed was his rightful place.
The seventh prince, Jun Yutang, came from a modest family but possessed outstanding talent, having reached the mid-stage of the Unity Realm at a young age.
Initially, he had no chance in the race for succession. However, by marrying the daughter of a Void Realm Venerable, he secured a significant advantage.
His father-in-law was now working with Bladewind Venerable under Jun Zizhen, as well as Jun Fengya’s aunt.
These three Void Realm experts had managed to stall Jun Chengye, preventing him from making any progress.
Meanwhile, Jun Zizhen and Jun Yutang had set their sights on a crucial choke point-not in the Neutral Zone, but in Tianyu City, waiting for Jun Fengya and Lin Fengmian to fall into their trap.
It was clear that Tianyu City had already been fortified with layers of traps designed to ensnare them.
“Young Master Ye, do you have any brilliant strategies to break through the enemy?” Jun Fengya asked expectantly.
Lin Fengmian couldn’t help but chuckle. “What brilliant strategy? They’ve clearly set up a trap, and we can’t avoid the path. The only choice is to charge through head on.”
Jun Fengya sighed. He was right. It seemed that brute force was the only solution.
Throughout the entire journey, Lin Fengmian had kept himself busy.
Apart from crafting his own Heavenly Manifestation, he’d been systematically studying Qionghua sword techniques and combat skills under Luo Xue’s guidance.
Although he might not need them before facing the Heaven-Soaring Sword Saint, he couldn’t afford to leave everything until the last minute.
Learning in advance would certainly come in handy in the future.
However, without a sparring partner, Lin Fengmian’s practice remained theoretical – a battle of words on paper.
That night, after traveling for two straight days and nights, Lin Fengmian and his group stopped to rest.
Jun Fengya’s subordinates efficiently began to set up defensive formations, their training evident in their actions.
Watching Jun Yunshang glancing around, Lin Fengmian found her antics amusing.
The girl kept looking around, either looking for food or looking for a place to bathe.
He said to Jun Fengya, “Have your men find something to eat.”
Jun Fengya’s subordinates didn’t take kindly to his commanding tone, but Jun Fengya waved her hand. “Fine. Xu Chang, go hunt and bring back some food.”
Lin Fengmian shook his head. “I don’t trust them. You go personally.”
“Young Master Ye, you’re being unreasonable!” Du Xing’an frowned.
Lin Fengmian just looked at Jun Fengya in silence. After a brief pause, she nodded. “Fine, I’ll go.”
Satisfied, Lin Fengmian turned around and smiled at Jun Yunshang. “Come on, let’s go for a walk.”
Jun Yunshang nodded eagerly and followed him, earning some knowing looks from the group.
“Hmph,” someone muttered, “What kind of walk? More like a rendezvous in the mountains and rivers, if you ask me.”
After Lin Fengmian left, Chu Yang voiced his displeasure. “Your Highness, are we really going to let that brat act so arrogantly?”
“We need his help, so there’s no harm in humoring him,” Jun Fengya replied.
Looking around, she sternly addressed the group, “I know you’re all unhappy with him, but you’d better keep it to yourselves. If anyone interferes with my plans, I’ll kill you myself.”
The sharp edge in her tone silenced everyone, and they quickly nodded in acknowledgement.
On the other side, Lin Fengmian’s divine sense picked up on the exchange, bringing a faint smile to his lips.
He led Jun Yunshang to a nearby body of water. Seeing her eyes light up with delight, he leaned against a tree and chuckled. “Go ahead. I’ll stand guard for you.”
“Young Master Ye, you are the best!” Jun Yunshang cheered as she ran toward the water, preparing to bathe and freshen up.
Lin Fengmian erected a barrier to ensure that no one disturbed her, then began practicing the sword techniques Luo Xue had taught him.
“You spoil her too much,” Luo Xue commented softly.
Lin Fengmian coughed uncomfortably. “Even death row inmates get a last meal. I just want her to have some carefree moments while she still can.”
“I’m afraid that final kindness might be the thing that hurts her the most,” Luo Xue replied, sighing. “As long as you know what you’re doing.”
Lin Fengmian nodded and concentrated on practicing the sword techniques, executing each move with precision.
Before long, he sensed someone approaching and sheathed his sword, waiting.
“Young Master Ye, the food is ready,” Jun Fengya’s calm voice called out.
“Oh, all right. Just give me a moment,” Lin Fengmian replied.
Jun Fengya nodded and handed him two storage rings. “These are for you.”
Lin Fengmian raised his eyebrows. “What is this, protection money?”
“Protection money?” Jun Fengya laughed despite herself. “You could call it that. These are gifts to help you create your Heavenly Manifestation.”
“Unsolicited kindness, huh? You must be up to something. Don’t tell me you’ve fallen in love with me?” Lin Fengmian teased, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
“Young Master Ye, you are joking.”
Jun Fengya helplessly shook her head. “We are allies. The stronger you are, the more it benefits me.”
Lin Fengmian accepted the rings with a grin. “Well, I won’t refuse. You still have treasures, huh? It seems like I didn’t clean you out thoroughly last time – there are still hidden treasures. Where’d you hide them?”
His gaze swept up and down, finally lingering in the depths of Jun Fengya’s chest.
Ah, so that’s the advantage of having a “broad heart and large capacity” – literally.
Wait a moment. He’d already searched thoroughly last time, hadn’t he? And there was nothing to be found!
Lin Fengmian sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes inadvertently drifting lower.
That couldn’t be it, could it? After all, she was still a maiden.
No, impossible – it wouldn’t fit there anyway!