Chapter 25

Song Mojie was about to flare up, but Long Ziyi gave a light laugh and said indifferently, "Forget it, don't argue with the servants."

Her voice was clear and melodious, comparable to the song of a lark on a branch.

Even though Song Mojie and Song Qingshan had seen countless women, they couldn't help but feel their muscles soften and their hearts itch upon hearing such a voice.

Imagine, she was already this beautiful in men's clothing; if she wore women's clothing, who knew how stunning she would be!

Seeing that she didn't care, Song Mojie let out a sigh of relief. His peripheral vision caught the pale-faced, unconscious Song Moran on the stretcher, and he frowned, "What's wrong with him?"

"Reporting to the Young Master, the Young Prince was severely injured and fell into a coma after a duel with someone!" Song Fu's head bowed even lower, knowing that if the master was injured, they, the servants, would be in big trouble if the mansion investigated.

"Hmm?" Song Mojie's eyebrows shot up at the news, and he said indifferently, "Song Moran has quite good cultivation talent. Who injured him?"

While he asked this, he was also very puzzled. After all, Song Moran was the young prince of the Jingwang Mansion. There weren't many people in the capital who dared to touch him. Now that he had been injured, among his peers, there were few who had both the backing and the strength to do so. Song Mojie couldn't think of anyone who had the ability.

"Song Li from the County Prince's Mansion!" Seeing the Young Master ask, Song Fu became even more respectful.

"What?" Song Mojie's eyes almost popped out of their sockets, and he exclaimed in surprise, "You just said the one who injured him is the County Prince's Mansion's waste?"

"Reporting to the Young Master, it is indeed that Song Li!"

Song Mojie immediately exchanged a glance with Song Qingshan, both seeing a hint of surprise in each other's eyes.

Long Ziyi, who had been looking around indifferently, turned her eyes when she heard "Song Li" and said indifferently, "The Song Li you mentioned, could it be the County Prince's Mansion's waste who has been causing a commotion in the capital these days?"

"Huh, Princess, you also know this kid?" Song Qingshan felt slightly surprised. It seemed that Song Li's reputation was quite big, even the young princess who lived in the Prince's Mansion knew about him.

Long Ziyi smiled slightly, "I occasionally heard the attendants mention him. A cultivation waste who has been stagnant for years suddenly had a surge in his realm. Such a thing is indeed rare."

"Heh, that kid from the County Prince's Mansion has been in the limelight lately. First, he single-handedly challenged Cheng Zhengxiang and Xiao Lewei, and now he has beaten Song Moran. He really thinks he's something," Song Mojie sneered, his words full of disdain.

"Rumors say this kid took nine supreme holy pills from the County Prince's Consort. Even if it's not true, he must have taken some highly effective elixir. Otherwise, his realm wouldn't have surged so quickly," Song Qingshan, who usually spoke sparingly and accurately, said slowly.

Supreme holy pills? Long Ziyi smiled and shook her head. Holy-grade elixirs were the most precious treasures in the world. How could they be talked about as if they were beans? And nine of them? The energy contained in a supreme holy pill was terrifying. A cultivation waste would likely burst from the overwhelming energy after just one pill, let alone nine! Lies didn't cost anything to tell.

If there were really supreme holy pills, she wouldn't have had to leave her family and come to the Holy Lion Empire. A supreme holy pill should be able to resolve the evil energy in her body and transform her. But such a pill was not easy to find. The number of Holy Pill Masters in the entire Nebula Continent could be counted on one hand. No one had heard of anyone who could refine a supreme holy pill. This kind of lie could only fool ordinary people who didn't understand elixirs. For someone like Long Ziyi, with a deep family background and extensive knowledge, it was easily seen through.

The only thing that piqued Long Ziyi's interest was the rumor that Song Li, a cultivation waste, had transformed overnight. Although she wasn't a cultivation waste, she was born with abnormal meridians and a "poison fire" vein in her body. If it weren't for the powerful family cultivation technique and the use of precious medicines, she would have been burned to ashes long ago! The entire family had used countless resources but failed to completely resolve the "poison fire" vein in her body. Out of necessity, they sent her to the Holy Lion Empire, where there was a well in the Prince's Mansion that seemed to connect to the extremely cold and yin energy in the earth. Cultivating near this well could temporarily suppress the surging poison fire in her body. As long as the poison vein in her body wasn't resolved, she could never leave the Holy Lion Empire.

Of course, this was not the life Long Ziyi wanted. So when she heard about Song Li's story, her heart stirred. If Song Li could transform, then she should be able to as well. She planned to capture the boy and interrogate him to find out what elixir and methods he used to achieve such results.

This was also the reason she was willing to visit the Jingwang Mansion today. Besides gathering information, she also wanted to win the favor of these two Young Masters. After all, there were some things she couldn't do herself. If these two Young Masters listened obediently, they could serve as her pawns.

Life in the Holy Lion Empire was too boring. She might as well find some "games" to play. Long Ziyi was a person who enjoyed chaos. After so many years of seclusion in the Prince's Mansion, she was almost suffocating. Since Song Li's rise, the capital had become much livelier, stirring her restless heart. She decided to gather some pawns under her command, form a force, and make a stir in the capital. Song Li was quite a troublemaker, so she might as well use him as an opponent and have some fun.

"A waste is still a waste. The realm he achieved by relying on his mother's elixirs can't be very strong. I could crush a pillbox like him with one finger. I think it's not that Song Li is strong, but that Song Moran is too weak!" Song Mojie looked coldly at Song Moran's pale face, spat, and said disdainfully, "Waste!"

Song Moran was a bastard, and compared to Song Mojie, the legitimate Young Master, his status was incomparably lower. Song Mojie didn't care much about this half-brother and certainly wouldn't seek revenge for him. Instead, he was furious that Song Moran had disgraced the Jingwang Mansion in front of the young princess.

Seeing the Young Master angry, the attendants dared not tell him about Song Moran losing the fire seed in a bet. With his violent temper, if he knew, he might kill Song Moran on the spot.

"Carry this waste away, don't stand here and obstruct the view." Song Mojie waved his hand impatiently. The attendants were relieved and quickly carried Song Moran into the inner courtyard to find someone to treat him.

After the attendants disappeared, the two Young Masters seemed to forget what had just happened and carefully accompanied Long Ziyi out of the mansion. For Song Mojie and Song Qingshan, a bastard prince being injured was not a big deal. Although Song Li had been causing trouble lately, to their level of nobility, he was like a grasshopper that could be crushed at any time. The only thing they were curious about was what elixir Song Li had taken. But with their status, they didn't bother to ask.

Regardless of how the two Young Masters dismissed the matter, the news of Song Li beating Song Moran and winning back the fire seed spread quickly throughout the capital.

The story of a waste suddenly becoming a master, challenging a prince, and winning, spread widely in teahouses, inns, and theaters, and was adapted into various versions. Each version was thrilling, and such an underdog story of a weak person defeating a strong one was quite popular among the people.

The key was that the prize of the duel was the most mysterious and revered treasure in the continent, the fire seed!

People from all walks of life were extremely curious about such a rare treasure. In the Holy Lion Empire, the only way to rise to prominence was through cultivation. Those without cultivation talent, if born into wealthy families, could at least live a carefree life as a noble. But if born into a commoner or low-class family, they would suffer, spending their lives as servants or laborers with no hope of advancement.

Cultivation was the only way to change one's fate, so almost everyone in the Holy Lion Empire was a cultivator. Everyone knew the great help elixirs provided in cultivation, which is why alchemists were so sought after. The most favored by alchemists were fire seeds. The higher the level of the elixir, the higher the requirement for the fire seed. Without a high-quality fire seed, even a Holy Pill Master could not refine top-tier elixirs.

But the rarity of fire seeds was even greater than that of alchemists. Over time, they became the treasures of legend.

Somehow, the young prince of the Jingwang Mansion had obtained a fire seed at the Mandala auction. But due to underestimating Song Li's strength, he lost the fire seed. Various versions of the story made the process dramatic, and Song Li became a model of an underdog's rise, a famous young hero in the capital.

After this battle, Song Li's reputation soared, and he became one of the most prominent figures in the capital.

A few days later, in the meeting hall of the Jingwang Mansion.

Prince Zhong, Song Xingchen, sat in the middle, with Prince Jing, Song Xingguang, and Prince Kang, Song Xingyun, on either side. The three of them were drinking tea and discussing recent political developments.

"Seventh Brother, I heard that Sixth Brother's son injured your youngest son?" Prince Zhong, Song Xingchen, casually mentioned this matter in the middle of their conversation.

Prince Jing, Song Xingguang, frowned. A few days ago, the attendants had carried Song Moran back, saying he was injured. At the time, he found it strange. Although Song Moran was a bastard and had a lower status in the Jingwang Mansion, he still represented the image of the Jingwang Mansion and was his son. Who was so bold as to dare to hit the son of the Seventh Prince?