The Great Yu Empire's recruitment of experts had never stopped. Ever since Lu Yin had killed Karthika, many experts had joined the Great Yu Empire. So far, seven Cruisers and more than twenty Explorers had joined the Great Yu Empire. Almost all of these people came from organizations that had been wiped out in the surrounding weaves, and they hoped to borrow the Great Yu Empire's strength to protect themselves.
Because of their special identities, Lu Yin did not arrange for them to join the Thirteen Imperial Squadrons.
The Thirteen Imperial Squadrons had too much authority, so it was not suitable for them to join.
Ever since the universe had changed, Lu Yin had not rested much. The four ministries had been established, and Huan Sha was helping out with government affairs while En Ya was helping out with military matters. Lu Yin finally had some time to rest.
Under the cover of night, Lu Yin walked out of King Zishan's palace. He suddenly recalled the small outdoor tavern where he had drunk with the Second Prince.
When he returned to the tavern, he noticed that the surroundings had changed. The ground had clearly been repaired, and the several crises that Zenyu Star had faced could be seen here.
"Boss, a flask of wine," Lu Yin said as he sat down.
The wine was quickly served, along with two small plates of appetizers. Lu Yin's appetite was whetted, and he poured himself a cup of wine and downed it in one gulp. He exhaled comfortably; the taste was still the same.
He was not that familiar with Duke Yushan, and the greatest help the man had given him was to provide him with a good place to drink. Although the scenery was not elegant, it was located in a bustling city, and there was a noisy bar nearby, but it still gave off a feeling of being hidden in the city.
The place was good, the wine was good, and the appetizers were even better.
Lu Yin relaxed a lot.
"Another flask of wine," Lu Yin called out.
The boss nodded and served Lu Yin a second flask of wine. He looked at Lu Yin and was stunned for a moment before his expression changed. "You- you!"
Lu Yin raised a hand to stop the boss from speaking and pointed to the side. He was not the only one in the tavern.
The boss understood and nodded respectfully before retreating.
Lu Yin continued to drink, and the boss quickly served up a few more appetizers. Lu Yin smiled, "Boss, how's business these days?"
The boss heard the question and hurriedly ran over, "It's been good, it's been good."
Lu Yin saw that the boss was nervous and waved him away.
"Oh, who's that? Someone who doesn't know better might think that it's the crown prince," a youth at a nearby table mocked Lu Yin.
Lu Yin was flabbergasted; someone was looking for trouble with him.
The tavern owner's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly went over to persuade them. However, the people at the table were clearly drunk. One of them spat on the ground and said, "Brat, it's not your turn to show off here. Do you understand?"
Lu Yin did not turn around and continued to drink.
"Brat, I'm talking to you. Can't you hear me?"
The tavern owner hurriedly pulled the drunkard aside and said something. Lu Yin tapped on the table with a single finger, making a very rhythmic sound. Every tap was exactly the same as the drunkard's heartbeat. The drunkards hadn't noticed at first, but when the tapping stopped, their heartbeats suddenly stopped and their faces turned pale. They suddenly gasped for breath, almost suffocating.
Because they were panting heavily, their breaths reeked of alcohol, and they sobered up a lot. They looked at Lu Yin in shock, knowing that they had offended someone they couldn't afford to offend. One of them hurriedly apologized, "Brother, we're sorry. We drank too much, so we'll pay for your drinks today. Goodbye." He then left behind some money and hurriedly ran off.
Lu Yin poured himself a cup of wine and took a sip. He liked the feeling of cooking wine in the cold wind and a hundred different dishes.
The tavern owner looked at Lu Yin as if he was a god. Just tapping on the table was enough to suffocate the drunkards; this was the Royal Regent's power.
Far away from the tavern, in the shadows of a corner, a few people silently retreated. They had originally come to assassinate Lu Yin and had been waiting at King Zishan's palace for a long time. Just as they were about to make their move, they saw the scene just now. Even though Lu Yin hadn't made a move, the stifling pressure that had been stifling had terrified them. Lu Yin wasn't someone they could assassinate.
Someone walked out from the tavern and looked towards the open-air tavern. The tapping on the table had shaken him, as if the sound had suppressed something through the air.
He looked towards the open-air tavern and saw Lu Yin, but he couldn't see his face clearly. After some thought, he walked over.
Soon enough, he sat down in the tavern and asked for a jug of wine from the owner. He took a sip and glanced at Lu Yin.
Coincidentally, Lu Yin looked up and met the man's eyes. The man's pupils shrank, and he subconsciously stood up and bowed. "Wukai Mathers greets Your Highness."
The conflict that had just occurred had scared away the other customers in the tavern, leaving Lu Yin alone. Wukai Mathers's bow startled the owner, who hurriedly bowed as well. "Greetings, Your Highness."
Lu Yin smiled. "We're all wine tasters in this tavern, so there's no need to call me Your Highness. Owner, give me another jug."
"Yes, Your Highness." The owner hurriedly left.
Lu Yin looked at Wukai Mathers, his gaze pausing on his left arm. "Is your arm fake?"
Wukai Mathers respectfully replied, "Yes, it was destroyed by a plant during Astral-10's exam."
Lu Yin nodded. "Sit down, let's drink together."
Wukai Mathers' expression changed, but he eventually sat down. He was filled with boundless gratitude towards Lu Yin. If not for Lu Yin, his father would have been dead. Now that Lu Yin had released his father, the Mathers family would never be able to repay this favor.
The Mathers family had once been part of the Zishan bloodline, so they were naturally close to Lu Yin.
"I've known your father for a long time," Lu Yin said.
Wukai Mathers replied, "I've heard him mention it."
Lu Yin smiled and looked at Wukai Mathers. "You're very powerful. Among the younger generation of the Great Yu Empire, no one is your match aside from Schutz."
Wukai Mathers respectfully replied, "You're too kind, Your Highness. The five Hall Masters of Yu Academy are all very powerful."
Lu Yin laughed. "Although they've improved a lot, their thinking is still too limited. Aside from Schutz, it's difficult for the others to leave the Outerverse, but you're different." Lu Yin's gaze then landed on Wukai Mathers's right arm, or more accurately, his right hand. He had noticed earlier that Wukai Mathers's aura was extraordinary, and he had filled his eyes with star energy to take a closer look. Just as he had said, aside from Schutz, none of the other four Hall Masters could compare to Wukai Mathers.
This was especially true for Wukai Mathers' right fist, which had an unusually large number of rune lines that far surpassed the Outerverse's Limiteers. Wukai Mathers was already very close to the Innerverse's elite Limiteers. Although he still couldn't compare to the Astral Combat Academy's Area Masters, his future achievements wouldn't be limited.
Wukai Mathers stood up and respectfully said, "Your Highness, during Astral-10's exam, this humble one accidentally obtained a battle technique from a cliff. It's called the Stone-Crushing Fist. This humble one has relied on this battle technique to reach my current level of strength."
Lu Yin nodded and gestured for Wukai Mathers to sit down. He didn't really care about the Stone-Crushing Fist; there were many strange battle techniques in the universe, and many of them had miraculous effects. This was very normal since he himself knew the Sirius Technique. This battle technique was extremely powerful, and although it wasn't enough for him, it could still help him turn danger into safety at a critical moment.
The Sword Sect's Thirteen Swords, the Daynight clan's Night's End, Daybreak, and the Daynight Restoration Technique were all battle techniques that could dominate an entire era. Lu Yin's vision had long since transcended the Outerverse, so he had no interest in Wukai Mathers' battle techniques.
"Tianming has gone to Grandtop Weave. From tomorrow onwards, you will replace him and become Yu Academy's Hall Master," Lu Yin said after taking a sip of wine. He then stood up and left.
Wukai Mathers stared blankly at Lu Yin's departing figure. How had he become a Hall Master so easily?
Not too long ago, Yu Academy had been an elite training ground that he didn't even have the qualifications to enter. Now, he had actually become a Hall Master. He stood up excitedly and bowed deeply to Lu Yin's back.
The strong would rise while the weak would fall. This was Lu Yin's rule, and Wukai Mathers' ability was enough to become a Hall Master.
After leaving the tavern, Lu Yin didn't return to King Zishan's palace. Instead, he went to the seaside to sober up. He didn't like to force the alcohol out of his system, as that would make drinking meaningless. Sometimes, getting tipsy could help him relax.
After disappearing for a few hours, Lu Yin finally returned to King Zishan's palace, where he was surprised to see a familiar face: Jeraldine.
During Earth's trial, Jeraldine had been captured and threatened by Lu Yin. She was the first person he had ever met who wasn't a friend.
Jeraldine hadn't expected to run into Lu Yin at the entrance of King Zishan's palace. She was flustered and didn't know what to do.
Lu Yin laughed, "Let's go in and have a seat."
Jeraldine hurriedly replied, "There's no need. Oh, I'm sorry. Greetings, Your Highness."
Lu Yin looked at her, "You're here for something?"
Jeraldine nodded and took out a ring, "I'll return this to you."
Lu Yin took it, "What's this?"
"Jenny Auna accidentally dropped it and I picked it up. I'm returning it to you," Jeraldine said.
Lu Yin recalled that he had given Jenny Auna a ring in order to gain the Auna family's support. He had gotten it from the die roll, "Accidentally dropped it?
Or did you throw it away? "
Jeraldine blinked, "Accidentally, I guess."
"Then how did you know it was mine?" Lu Yin asked.
Jeraldine's eyes darted around, not knowing how to answer.
Lu Yin tossed the ring to her, "You can have it." He then stepped into King Zishan's palace, not caring about the ring at all.
Jeraldine caught it in shock and stared blankly at Lu Yin's back.
Lu Yin stopped, "Do you want to come in? We haven't seen each other in a long time."
Jeraldine shook her head in panic, "No, thank you." She bowed again and ran off.
Lu Yin was puzzled; why was she panicking?
He didn't know what it meant to give a girl a ring, and Jeraldine's mind was in a mess. She didn't dare enter King Zishan's palace.
Leisure time always passed quickly, and after a relaxing day, Lu Yin once again entered a busy state.
The military, the government, and everywhere else were recommending people to join the four ministries. Lu Yin didn't know who was capable and who wasn't, but he did know that they all represented their own interests.
He wanted to cross them all out, but he was afraid that he would really miss out on someone capable. He had no choice but to leave it all to Huan Sha.
She was so busy that she didn't even have time to eat.