When he heard Ming Zhaoshu's words, Lu Yin lowered his head, not daring to answer.
"Are you willing to serve me, Seventh Lu?" Ming Zhaoshu suddenly shouted as he stared at Lu Yin.
Lu Yin's mind shook; it was that pressure again. Explorers might not be able to accurately attack one's spiritual force, but their bodies had already undergone a metamorphosis, and they could naturally exert pressure on those below them. This was why many geniuses were unable to challenge Explorers, but it had no effect on Lu Yin.
"I'm willing to serve you, Your Highness." Lu Yin pretended to be paralyzed and hastily declared his position.
Ming Zhaoshu nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Raise your head."
Lu Yin looked up, and a gust of wind blew against his face. His expression changed, and he once again resisted the urge to attack. A strange fragrance was inhaled into his body, causing him to feel numb.
"This is my secret medicine. It can increase your strength and senses, but there are side effects as well. You must absorb it every once in a while, or you'll turn into a puddle of blood," Ming Zhaoshu said coldly.
Lu Yin trembled. "Your Highness, I know my mistake."
"I've already said that you weren't wrong. Help me with something, and I'll permanently remove this medicine. Otherwise, you know the consequences." Ming Zhaoshu stood up and walked to Lu Yin's side, whispering, "Enter the Crown Prince's residence."
Lu Yin was shocked. "The Crown Prince's residence?"
Ming Zhaoshu's gaze was cold. "You've been to Qianshan Village, and you've unknowingly formed a connection with the royal family. You're also very smart, so you should have the ability to enter the Crown Prince's residence and gradually gain Ming Hao's trust. Manager Wu Xia died a while ago, so this is your chance."
"I understand, Your Highness," Lu Yin replied. Wu Xia had died?
As expected, this person had found out the location of the five sealing planets' nodes and had been threatened. It would be strange if he hadn't died.
Ming Zhaoshu was very satisfied with Lu Yin's attitude. The key was that this secret medicine could not be removed without a certain level of strength. Lu Yin was just an ordinary person, and he should know that even if he told Ming Hao about it, Ming Hao would not remove the medicine for him. This was a dead end.
"If you complete this task well, I'll betroth Yue 'er to you," Ming Zhaoshu said indifferently.
Lu Yin looked up in surprise. Yue 'er?
Ming Zhaoshu smiled, "Do you think that only Young Masters like Bei Qing can obtain Yue 'er?
I promise you that Yue 'er will never leave the palace, nor will she be married off to anyone else. She's yours. "
This Ming Zhaoshu's grasp of human nature was terrifying. If Lu Yin had been an ordinary coachman, he would have felt his blood boil. He was now qualified to obtain the woman that he had once looked up to. Normal people would not be able to understand this kind of mentality. Poison and beauty were Ming Zhaoshu's methods.
"Alright, you can leave now," Ming Zhaoshu said indifferently.
Lu Yin bowed and retreated. Just as he reached the door, Ming Zhaoshu's voice rang out again. "I'll have you leave before we reach the capital, and I'll send someone to contact you. There's one more thing you need to remember: don't try to be smart, and don't ever meddle in my master's affairs."
Lu Yin bowed and left the study.
Outside the door, Tang Si looked at him coldly.
Lu Yin bowed once more and left.
Tang Si watched Lu Yin's departing figure and stepped into the study. "Is that really necessary, Your Highness?"
Ming Zhaoshu smiled. "This kid is very clever, ambitious, and lucky. Let him try his luck at the Crown Prince's Residence. Perhaps he'll reap some unexpected benefits." He paused for a moment before continuing, "Besides, he's already connected to Bei Qing, and this connection might help us in the future."
"Bei Qing won't care about him. To Bei Qing, he's just a slave who's asking for a reward," Tang Si said.
Ming Zhaoshu smiled. "It doesn't matter if I don't care. That connection is enough."
Elsewhere, Lu Yin was far away from the study, deep in thought. The Crown Prince's Residence held no attraction for him, as its greatest secret was the location of the five sealing planets. After the incident with Wu Xia, Ming Hao would definitely increase the level of protection for this secret. It would be difficult for Lu Yin to obtain it with his own strength, so there was no need for him to go to the Crown Prince's Residence. As for the poison, he had his own ways to force it out.
Now, he was thinking about Ming Zhaoshu. According to Wu Xia's memories and the rumors, the Reverent King Ming Zhaoshu was a straightforward and upright person who was loyal to Emperor Ming Zhaotian. He cared about the country and took care of the people. His only flaw was that he was weak in martial arts. His elder brother, Ming Zhaotian, was not much older than Lu Yin, but he was already a Martial God. Even the Crown Prince, Ming Hao, was a Martial Emperor, but Ming Zhaoshu was still a Martial Emperor. It was said that he could not even compare to Ming Hao.
This was Ming Zhaoshu's only flaw.
However, if this person had comprehended a domain, then things would be different. Lu Yin did not believe that someone who had comprehended a domain would be weak. Furthermore, Ming Zhaoshu had a very precise grasp of human nature, and he had even allowed Bei Qing to pursue Ming Yan. From this, Lu Yin could see that Ming Zhaoshu was extremely shrewd. Ming Zhaoshu was definitely not a simple person, and he had concealed himself far too deeply.
Everyone knew that the Reverent King's Residence had been targeted by Crown Prince Ming Hao, and many people had been sent to infiltrate it. When Lu Yin had first heard about this, he had felt that it was strange. Ming Hao was not stupid, and he had sent people to spread the news throughout the city. Now, however, Lu Yin felt that this was more likely Ming Zhaoshu's plan to suppress Ming Hao's reputation.
Of course, this was all just Lu Yin's guess, and he was just imagining things. However, it could also be true. Lu Yin pondered over this as he walked, and he accidentally bumped into someone at a corner.
"Ahhh!"
There was a cry of surprise, and Lu Yin subconsciously reached out to grab the woman in front of him who was about to be knocked down. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and a sweet fragrance wafted over. It was very familiar. Was this … Ming Yan?
Time seemed to stop as Lu Yin hugged Ming Yan and stared at her in the corner.
Yue Xianzi was the first to react, and she slapped Lu Yin's shoulder to push him back. "How dare you blaspheme the princess!"
Lu Yin took a few steps back and lowered his head to apologize.
Ming Yan looked at Lu Yin strangely. "You're that coachman?
You're called Lu Seven, right? "
"Yes, I'm Lu Seven," Lu Yin hurriedly replied.
Ming Yan looked at him strangely. "Raise your head."
Lu Yin was speechless, as Ming Zhaoshu had said the same thing.
He slowly raised his head and feigned fear as he looked at Ming Yan.
Ming Yan stared into his eyes, and a ripple appeared in her eyes, as if she was thinking about something.
"How dare you stare at the princess!" Yue Xianzi shouted and raised her hand again, but Ming Yan hurriedly stopped her. "Yue 'er, it's fine. Let's go."
Yue Xianzi glared fiercely at Lu Yin before leaving with Ming Yan. Ever since Lu Yin had displayed those techniques, she no longer cared about him, as she believed that he was a native of the Shenwu Continent. Furthermore, she hadn't felt any martial power in that palm strike.
Lu Yin lowered his head and waited for the two women to leave before looking up and rubbing his shoulder. Fortunately, that woman had not used too much strength, or else he would not have been able to hide the fact that he was not injured.
Two days later, the sun shone brightly as white mist rose into the air and fresh air spread across the land.
The Reverent King's convoy left Antai City and continued towards the center of Ming Island.
Not long after they left Antai City, a crack spread across the sky and into the forest in the distance. At the same time, a few figures rapidly descended.
Lu Yin's eyes trembled; it was a trialtaker.
"Your Highness!" Tang Si shouted.
Ming Zhaoshu flew out from his carriage. "Don't move. I'll take care of it." He then raised a hand, and a majestic martial power distorted the void and pressed down in all directions.
In the distance, a similar majestic force appeared and resisted Ming Zhaoshu's attack.
"There's actually a Martial Emperor here? You're courting death!" Ming Zhaoshu leapt out and charged into the distance.
Just as Ming Zhaoshu left, dozens of figures rushed out from underground. Tang Si shouted, "Kill the sect's remnants!"
The entire convoy was thrown into chaos. The sect's remnants had taken advantage of Ming Zhaoshu's pursuit of the trialtakers to attack the convoy.
Butler Seven hid under the carriage and trembled.
They were in the middle of the convoy and were surrounded by soldiers, so they were temporarily safe.
Suddenly, a sharp slash streaked across the sky. Tang Si leapt up and stabbed out with his spear. With a bang, a shockwave crushed the ground and killed dozens of people.
Tang Si was forced back by more than ten steps, and he looked over in shock.
This was a trialtaker, a Limiteer from the Innerverse.
Many of the Innerverse's great powers nurtured powerful disciples, and this person's strength was comparable to the Astral Combat Academy's student leaders. Being able to force Tang Si back proved that he had the strength to enter the top sixteen of the Astral Combat Academy.
Further away, the battle between Ming Zhaoshu and the Explorer grew more and more intense. The cracks in the ground even spread to the convoy, splitting it in two.
Lu Yin and the rest were separated from Tang Si.
Blood spurted out from underground, and Yue Xianzi's eyes narrowed. "There's still someone underground."
As soon as she spoke, more than ten experts attacked the carriage.
Lu Yin clenched his fists and watched the scene unfold.
The carriage was overturned, and Yue Xianzi carried Ming Yan out. She coldly looked ahead as more than ten Martial Kings attacked. Yue Xianzi pushed Ming Yan to the side of the carriage. "Protect the princess."
The intense battle spread out in all directions.
A blast of energy tore through the void and shot towards Ming Yan. Lu Yin grabbed her and pulled her into his embrace. "Be careful."
Ming Yan lay in Lu Yin's embrace and looked up at him. Her eyes wandered as she softly asked, "Why are you following us?"
Lu Yin was stunned. "Princess, what are you talking about?"
Ming Yan pursed her lips. "Why are you following us?"
There was a soft whooshing sound as Yue Xianzi forced back several Martial Kings. She was about to rush over when she was stopped by someone else.
Lu Yin and Ming Yan were surrounded by experts from the Reverent King's Residence. Compared to the convoy, the princess's safety was more important.
Despite the chaotic battle, Ming Yan remained fearless as she stared at Lu Yin. "What exactly do you want?
Lu Yin? "
Lu Yin was stunned. "You know me?"
"Someone else told me your name. You're Lu Yin. Why are you following us?"
Ming Yan stared at him, her beautiful face filled with stubbornness. It wasn't that she didn't understand the importance of having one's reputation destroyed in this era, but she didn't want to think too much about it. What had happened had already happened, and she didn't want to be looked down upon.
She could act as if nothing had happened in front of anyone else, but not this man in front of her. He was the one who had destroyed her reputation, and she would never be able to shake him off in this lifetime. He had harmed her and disturbed her mental state, making it so that she couldn't even dream in peace. She had already dreamt of him for more than ten days.