Chapter 92

The contest for the pearl was something that had been agreed upon beforehand. Now, bringing it up was merely to give a clear explanation to the others in the grand hall. Therefore, Huangfu Yu and Sima Tianxia, without hesitation, immediately said in unison, "Your subjects comply with the imperial command. Your subjects nominate the rising star of the Eastern Wasteland, Chen Suibian, to represent us in the contest to amuse Her Majesty the Empress."

As soon as the words were spoken, Chen Suibian, who was actually the son of the Eastern Wasteland, immediately left the banquet and walked to the center of the grand hall. He did not kneel but only bowed with clasped hands, saying, "I pay my respects to Her Majesty the Empress."

Seeing that the son of the Eastern Wasteland was unwilling to even say the word 'subject,' the Empress could not help but feel somewhat displeased. However, in this setting, she could not be too picky. She then asked coolly, "Oh, you are Chen Suibian? This palace has heard of your name. It is said that you are a sworn brother of First-Class Marquis. Recently, you have been making a name for yourself in Luoyang, challenging and defeating ninety-nine martial sects in succession. Is that true?"

Chen Suibian straightened his back and said proudly, "Yes. However, it was all for the sake of First-Class Marquis and Tiger Shark Marquis. I hope Her Majesty will, after today, expedite the dispatch of personnel to apprehend the murderers of the two marquises as soon as possible."

"Otherwise, if people learn that the Great Hao cannot even guarantee the basic personal safety of the noble lords of the Eastern Wasteland, and cannot even catch the murderers, then the envoys from various countries present here will all be in fear, and no one will dare to come to Luoyang again."

"Damn, Chen Suibian, did you eat shit today? How can you speak so foully? In this setting, to say such things, do you have porridge in your head?"

Seeing the Empress's expression becoming increasingly displeased, Prince Chuzhen could not help but curse fiercely in secret. He stood up again and said sternly, "Chen Suibian, these are not words you should say. Focus on preparing for the contest."

Chen Suibian, with a somewhat gloating look, clasped his hands and bowed deeply, deliberately drawing out his voice, "I comply with the imperial command."

The Empress's expression slightly eased. Just as she was about to order the contest for the pearl to begin, Prince Chuzhen suddenly had a thought and remembered that earlier, the top courtesan of Luoyang, Yu Xuanyi, and Xiao Sheng seemed to have some kind of ambiguity. His mother, upon seeing this, seemed somewhat unhappy. So Prince Chuzhen immediately said, "Mother, wait a moment. I have a suggestion."

The Empress turned her head and asked, "Oh? What suggestion does my son have?"

Prince Chuzhen smiled and said, "As the saying goes, since ancient times, heroes have been paired with beauties. Therefore, I suggest that to add more interest to this contest, we make the top courtesan Yu Xuanyi the prize. Whoever wins the contest will be granted Yu Xuanyi as a concubine. Wouldn't this be a great thing? Please grant it, Mother."

The people in the grand hall, upon hearing Prince Chuzhen's words, could not help but cheer loudly.

Xiao Sheng's face darkened, and anger welled up in him. Chen Suibian, after a moment of surprise, turned around and gave Xiao Sheng a provocative smile.

Prince Chuzhen's suggestion was also unexpected by the Empress. She was slightly taken aback but then, seeing the anger in Xiao Sheng's eyes, immediately made up her mind. She smiled and said, "My son's idea is good. The contest for the pearl and the beauty will certainly make tonight's battle in the Golden Hall a rare and beautiful story. Very well, I approve."

Prince Chuzhen said happily, "Mother, I have another suggestion. If Mother stipulates that the contest can only be a light touch, then it will certainly make it difficult for the Fourteenth Brother and Mr. Chen to fully display their true abilities. Why not remove the restrictions and let them fully demonstrate their skills?"

"Brother, this suggestion is inappropriate," Prince Jianzhen frowned and objected, "Fists and feet have no eyes. If someone makes a mistake, it will certainly lead to a fatal accident. Wouldn't this turn Mother's joyous birthday banquet into a tragedy?"

The Empress glanced at Prince Jianzhen coolly and said, "Fourth Son, don't worry. I have my own judgment." She paused and then asked Chen Suibian, "Mr. Chen, what do you think?"

Chen Suibian, feeling secure, sneered and said, "This suggestion is excellent. The skills I have learned are for killing. I only kill, not perform. If Her Majesty wants to see my true abilities, then it's best to remove the restrictions and let me and the Wasted Prince use our full strength to determine the winner."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was another uproar in the grand hall. After all, calling someone a 'Wasted Prince' or 'Lame Prince' was something only said in private. Saying it in public was a serious breach of etiquette.

Moreover, the term 'Wasted Prince' sounded extremely derogatory. Chen Suibian saying it so openly was already a form of insult. Instantly, many officials of the Great Hao were visibly angry.

Prince Jianzhen even slammed his hand on the table and said angrily, "Rude fellow, be quiet! What Wasted Prince? Such a derogatory nickname is not something an outsider can say!" Turning to face the Empress, he clasped his hands and said, "Mother, this person is arrogant and disrespectful, daring to insult the Great Hao prince in public. This is extremely disrespectful. I respectfully request that Mother issue an order to arrest this rogue and punish him for his disrespect."

The Empress sneered and said, "The people of the Eastern Wasteland are unfamiliar with court etiquette and are straightforward and simple. In my view, this is not a major offense. Fourth Son, calm down."

She paused and then, without asking Xiao Sheng's opinion, said gently, "Fourteenth Son, Mr. Chen, you two are both outstanding talents. This contest is not just about winning the Netherworld Pearl. More importantly, it is about setting an example for the Great Hao and promoting the spirit of martial arts, so that you can serve the country in the future."

She smiled lightly and continued, "I believe everyone present is as eager as I am to see your skills. Very well, then. Let's not delay. Listen for the sound of my cup breaking to start the contest. Both sides must give it their all, regardless of life or death. The winner of the contest will receive the Netherworld Pearl and the top courtesan of Luoyang as rewards."

As soon as these words were spoken, a clear sound of "clink" was heard. The Empress picked up a wine cup from the table and casually threw it, shattering it on the floor.

The entire hall fell silent, and countless eyes focused on Xiao Sheng and Chen Suibian, fully engrossed in watching their battle.

The Fourteenth Son, Xiao Sheng, was born with the Six Yin Absolute Meridian, which, according to common sense, made it impossible for him to practice martial arts. Prince Jianzhen, of course, knew this well. Although the relationship between him and Xiao Sheng was not particularly close, they were still blood-related brothers.

Therefore, in an instant, Prince Jianzhen had made up his mind. He hid his right hand in his sleeve, fingers poised like a sword, ready to act. If he saw Xiao Sheng in danger, he would immediately come to his aid, regardless of the consequences.

Similarly, Prince Xiayi had also made this decision. However, he did not use a sword, so he clenched his fists and hid them under the table. As for the other princes... Prince Xian was confident and not worried at all. Prince Lame was indifferent, Prince Chuzhen was smiling, Prince Ruxuan was watching from the sidelines, Prince Xiaoxuan's eyes were gleaming, and Prince Cai was drinking and eating on his own. From their reactions, it was clear who was close to Xiao Sheng and who was not.

"Ha, who would have thought that I, the son of the Eastern Wasteland, would end up in a situation like this, performing a monkey show for everyone to see."

His facial features contorted, and his eyes revealed deep sarcasm. The son of the Eastern Wasteland, full of malice, laughed loudly and said, "But I don't care. Those who achieve great things must endure countless trials and tribulations before they can achieve their goals. People of the Central Realm, do you want to see a show? Fine! Then open your eyes and watch carefully! This is the true strength of the son of the Eastern Wasteland!"

With a loud shout, the son of the Eastern Wasteland took a half-step forward with his right foot and immediately spread his fists to the left and right. All restrictions on his power were completely removed!

In a flash, a black aura burst from his body, forming a ferocious and vicious Dark Dragon Emperor, floating in the air behind him. The overwhelming aura shook the entire hall. The candles in the Golden Hall suddenly dimmed, and a cold wind swept through, making almost everyone present pale with shock.

The ground began to shake violently. In a moment, the sounds of clattering and crashing could be heard continuously. The cups, plates, and bowls on the table, affected by the vibrations, could no longer remain in place and fell to the floor, shattering into pieces.

One, two, three, four, five, six! In silence, six black battle marks climbed onto the son of the Eastern Wasteland's forehead, intertwining to form a simple yet infinitely evil dragon battle mark. At the sight of it, people were immediately terrified, even to the point of losing their souls.

A court official, eyes wide open, screamed, "A Grandmaster! It's a genuine Grandmaster!"

Another court official shrieked, "Heaven, how is this possible? This is bad. The Wasted Prince is in trouble!"

Another court official, panicked, shook his head and sighed, "Not just in trouble, but doomed. The Wasted Prince, born with the Six Yin Absolute Meridian, how can he possibly fight a Grandmaster-level martial arts expert?"

Another official trembled and said, "It's not just a matter of not being able to fight. A Grandmaster can crush the Wasted Prince with just one finger. This is murder, this is murder!"

Another official shouted, "Stop, stop immediately! Fourteenth Prince, admit defeat now. Otherwise, no one can save you!"

"Admit defeat? Ha, it's not that simple," the son of the Eastern Wasteland heard all the comments from the audience clearly.

The son of the Eastern Wasteland laughed madly to the sky, "Wasted Prince! Even if you kneel and beg for mercy now, it's too late. I said it before. For the eye that was destroyed by you, I will take a hundredfold revenge today! Pay the price you owe! Dark Dragon Emperor Fist, go and blast the Wasted Prince's head into a shit pie! Kill!"