“It was I who acted impulsively and offended you. Please forgive me.” Forced into it, Ying Hong clasped his fists and apologized to Chu Feng.
After all, he had been the one to lose his composure first and had given others leverage against him.
Miaoyin turned to look at Chu Feng. Only after seeing him nod did she let out a cold snort and withdraw her pressure.
The people in the hall secretly let out a breath of relief.
No one had expected that the banquet had barely begun and yet the clash had already escalated to such intensity.
“Senior Brother, although Ying Hong comes from a humble background, his talent is extremely high. Emperor Tianwen values him greatly and granted him the title of Prince Hongtian,” Liu Mei said in a low voice to Chu Feng. “For him to rise all the way to this position, he is definitely not a fool. Since he dared to openly provoke you, there must be something behind it.”
At this moment, Palace Master Miaoyin added, “There are rumors that Ying Hong has no intention of competing for the throne. He has already reached an agreement in secret with the Crown Prince and formed an alliance.”
Extreme Heaven Palace stood within the royal city, and its frequent visitors were high officials and nobles. As Palace Master, Miaoyin naturally had some understanding of court struggles.
“He does seem to know when to advance and when to retreat,” Chu Feng said with a faint curve of his lips. Deep within his eyes, however, there was a chilling coldness.
They had come so quickly.
Although the Heavenly Phoenix Empire was subordinate to the Azure Cloud Immortal Sect, it maintained considerable independence, much like a regional lord of old.
Royal princes and princesses would enter the Azure Cloud Immortal Sect for training in their youth before returning to the empire.
In the original novel, Su Fan had formed very close bonds with those from the same batch of the Heavenly Phoenix Empire who entered the Azure Cloud Immortal Sect together. They had explored dangerous lands and survived life-and-death situations, forging deep friendships.
The reason Su Fan had been able to hide in Heavenly Phoenix Royal City for so long without being found likely had much to do with secret protection from members of the imperial family.
In the original novel, Prince Hongtian Ying Hong had barely been mentioned.
However, Su Fan had an extremely close relationship with the emperor’s most beloved eldest princess, Ying Ziyue, and by extension had become close with her elder brother, the Crown Prince.
Later, during the struggle for the imperial throne, Su Fan had played a significant role.
It seemed likely that Ying Hong had been acting under the Crown Prince’s influence, or at least that there was such a connection, which gave him the confidence to provoke Chu Feng.
After all, this was the royal city of the Heavenly Phoenix Empire. Even Chu Feng could not casually strike at the emperor’s son without cause.
He is nothing more than a pawn pushed to the forefront, Chu Feng thought, his expression returning to a smile as he said aloud, “Just a minor incident. There is no need for everyone to dwell on it.”
“I believe you all know the purpose of my visit to Heavenly Phoenix Royal City this time, so I will not waste words.”
“The Ye Family, as one of the Immortal Sect’s suppliers, engaged in embezzlement and corruption. Even my master, the Grand Elder of the Immortal Sect, True Immortal Shenji, found it intolerable. Thus, he entrusted me with finding a new supplier to replace the Ye Family.”
“The Patriarch of the Ye Family has been detained by me and will be publicly executed tomorrow at the gates of the Immortal Sect. You are all welcome to witness it.” This chapter is updated first at g.com.
Chu Feng’s smile was radiant and soothing. “After careful consideration, since the Heavenly Phoenix Empire has always been loyal to the Immortal Sect, it is only appropriate that the new supplier be chosen from within the empire.”
“In order to avoid fierce disputes and harm to harmony, everyone may write your proposed terms on paper. For example, how many spirit herbs you can supply, what share you wish to hold, how you intend to set the price, and so on. Once written, give the paper to the maids to deliver to me.”
“Let me remind you that regardless of strength or status, each person has only one chance to bid.”
“If you feel unable to handle this alone, you may form alliances with other families,” Chu Feng added.
At last, the moment had arrived.
The atmosphere instantly grew tense. No one had expected Chu Feng to adopt such a method to select the new supplier and divide the massive interests left behind by the Ye Family.
Brilliant! Miaoyin’s eyes lit up, silently marveling at Chu Feng’s ingenuity.
By writing bids on paper, it prevented powerful families from using their influence to suppress smaller ones, ensuring that even lesser families could compete without fear and potentially offer the lowest price.
This maximized the sect’s interests.
Yet many in the hall were stunned.
No matter how powerful or influential a family was, they had only one chance to bid.
This meant the great families’ power and foundation would offer no advantage. If they bid too high, they would be eliminated immediately. If they bid too low, they would lose profit.
As soon as Chu Feng’s words fell, even small families who had come merely to observe began to feel tempted. Representatives gathered in small groups, whispering and discussing in low voices.
The previously silent banquet hall suddenly grew lively.
At that moment, a deep voice rang out again, suppressing all the noise.
“Chief Chu Feng, before auctioning the Ye Family’s supplier privileges, may I ask you a few questions?”
Prince Hongtian Ying Hong had stepped into the center of the hall once more. His eyes were cold as he stared at Chu Feng, his back straight as a mountain, showing no fear.
Again.
The hall fell into silence.
Without waiting for Chu Feng’s response, he continued, “The Ye Family was a supplier of the Immortal Sect. I do not deny that there was some corruption.” This chapter was copied from novelping.com without permission.
“But—”
Ying Hong’s voice suddenly turned icy. “At the same time, the Ye Family has served as officials in the court for generations. Patriarch Ye Zhenchuan is a Vice Minister of Personnel, a second-rank imperial official.”
“Even if the Ye Family committed wrongdoing and Ye Zhenchuan is guilty, according to the Immortal Sect’s regulations, he should have been interrogated by our empire’s Ministry of Justice.”
“Yet Chief Chu Feng, you used your influence to overstep your authority. You directly detained a loyal official of our empire on Dharma Peak, severely injured him, and even dispatched the Heavenly Summit Guard to the Ye Family’s estate to slaughter freely under the guise of searching for so-called evidence.”
Buzz.
Ying Hong waved his hand, and a chaotic projection appeared in the center of the hall.
Tall guards clad in purple-gold armor stood in the sky in all directions, sealing heaven and earth with overwhelming pressure. Below, cries echoed as blood stained the ground.
“Everyone, this is the current scene at the Ye Family estate,” Ying Hong declared, turning to scan the gathered nobles.
“Look carefully. Is this an investigation?”
“This is forced conviction. If the Ye Family shows even the slightest resistance, they are met with merciless slaughter.”
“The Heavenly Summit Guard are emissaries sent by the Immortal Sect. Our imperial family cannot directly interfere.”
“But here, before Chief Chu Feng, I wish to ask on behalf of the innocent victims of the Ye Family. They have always supplied resources to the Immortal Sect with utmost diligence. What crime have they committed to deserve such a fate?”
“When the Heavenly Phoenix Empire was founded, it reached an agreement with the twenty-sixth Sect Master of the Immortal Sect. As long as our empire remained subordinate to the sect, we would receive protection.”
“But today, I must ask, is this how the Immortal Sect protects our empire?”
“If one day Chief Chu Feng becomes Sect Master, will he abolish the rule of the Heavenly Phoenix Empire entirely?”
Ying Hong’s voice grew louder and louder, elevating the matter from the Ye Family’s case to the relationship between the Immortal Sect and the Heavenly Phoenix Empire itself. The pressure of such words was immense.
Moreover, his speech was highly persuasive and incendiary. The nobles and great families present all fell into silence.
Yes.
Even if the Ye Family had erred, Patriarch Ye Zhenchuan was a high-ranking imperial official. He should have been interrogated by the Ministry of Justice.
Yet Dharma Peak, or rather Chu Feng, had bypassed the court entirely, acted above the rules, and directly ordered Ye Zhenchuan’s execution while sealing the Ye Family’s estate.