RNP Page 118
Page 118
At crucial moments, Zhu Houzhao always knew how to make choices.
Luke glanced at Zhu Houzhao and couldn't help but look at him with newfound respect.
He did that on purpose, of course; his main goal was to see how Emperor Zhu Houzhao would react.
If he's intolerant, Luke's attitude towards him will have to change.
If someone is open-minded and tolerant, then that's a different attitude altogether.
"Your Majesty is magnanimous. I was the one who was impolite. I promise Your Majesty one thing to make up for my rudeness today."
Luke's kindness was invaluable, more precious than ten thousand or a hundred thousand taels of gold.
Because no amount of money can guarantee a life at a critical moment, but Luke's favor can be considered a life in a way, whether that life is his own or someone else's.
A glint of light flashed in Zhu Houzhao's eyes, and he suddenly spoke.
"That's not urgent. I'm just curious about something. What do you want with this Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom? Judging from your vigorous appearance, you don't seem to have any serious illness and need Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom to prolong your life."
Was Zhu Houzhao really curious?
Of course not. It's just that Zhu Houzhao was quite knowledgeable about Zhu Wushi's affairs. Otherwise, how do you think Cao Zhengchun knew that Suxin was frozen and asleep in Tianchi in the original novel? It was Zhu Houzhao who found out and told him, so that he would have a bargaining chip to contend with Zhu Wushi.
Of course, Zhu Houzhao was unaware of Su Xin's existence at the moment. He only felt that Luke had first rescued Gu Santong, Zhu Wushi's mortal enemy, and then rushed to the palace to retrieve Tianxiang Doukou. He was sure that this had a lot to do with Zhu Wushi, and he wanted to find out what the connection was.
Emperors always want to control everything, and even though Zhu Houzhao's temperament was somewhat unreliable, the emperor's instincts still drove him to do so.
Luke raised an eyebrow beneath his mask and said, "I'll tell you about that later."
Luke comes from a modern era where there is no monarchy. He may have some reverence for emperors, but he would never have any reverence for them.
Zhu Houzhao didn't mind this. For him, it was enough to get a favor from Luke, and his curiosity didn't have to be satisfied.
"Um, may I see your true face?"
Well, curiosity isn't so easily satisfied.
"Then guess why I'm wearing a mask?"
Luke spoke in a low voice, seemingly with a hint of a smile.
Seeing Zhu Houzhao reminded Luke of an old friend, an old friend from before he time-traveled.
Both are equally curious and equally unreliable, but their identities are different.
Although his friend was unreliable, he was a true genius who already had three doctoral degrees at the young age of twenty-five.
Although Luke's life in his previous life wasn't very successful, his friend with three doctoral degrees was one of the few people he could truly confide in, and also his most prestigious friend.
The memory was fleeting. Seeing Zhu Houzhao's disappointed face, Luke smiled slightly, took off his mask, and revealed his true face.
Luke never wore the mask to conceal his identity; it was just for fun.
Being the mastermind behind everything feels pretty good. It's incredibly satisfying to be the one who shines in front of everyone while others are dumbfounded.
When Luke removed his mask, it was as if a long-sealed scroll had been unveiled, revealing his otherworldly handsome face. His features were as exquisite as a meticulously sculpted work of art, every line perfectly proportioned, neither overly harsh nor lacking in softness, breathtakingly perfect.
His brows revealed an extraordinary and refined air, like a banished immortal untouched by worldly dust, serene and divine, making one dare not look directly at him.
Those deep eyes, like the brightest stars in the night sky, shone with wisdom and mystery.
With a glance, one seems to be able to see into people's hearts, and also seems to be able to travel through time and space to see the distant future.
His nose was high and straight, and his lips were thin, outlining a calm yet dignified smile, as if an immortal had descended to earth, inspiring awe in all who beheld him.
The fusion of multiple worlds not only enhanced his strength, but also brought him to near perfection in every aspect, as if he had evolved.
Chapter 215: Martial Arts Chronicle: Let me guess, who injured you?
Princess Yunluo stared blankly at Luke, her eyes filled with fascination and shock.
She had never seen such a handsome man, as if he had stepped out of a painting, untouched by worldly affairs.
Her heart raced uncontrollably, and a blush rose to her cheeks, as if the whole world had stood still.
Although Yunluo has a willful personality, she is still a woman after all.
Of course, this is not to say that women are looked down upon, but rather that compared to men, women are more emotional and easily attracted to beautiful things.
Zhu Houzhao was also stunned. Although he was the emperor and had seen a lot, he was still amazed by Luke's appearance.
He secretly admired him, thinking that there was such a person in the world, truly a celestial being.
Of course, that's the official statement; what he really meant was...
How can this person be so handsome? He's even a little bit better looking than me!
As a man, Zhu Houzhao was only willing to admit that Luke was slightly more handsome than himself.
Luke smiled at everyone; his smile was warm and gentle, as if it could dispel the gloom in people's hearts.
"So young?"
Others might be awestruck by Luke's extraordinary appearance, but Zheng Daban was more concerned with Luke's age.
With his more than 100 years of experience, he could easily tell that Luke was definitely no more than 20 years old.
The thought that a boy not even twenty years old could so easily control him made Zheng Daban feel that he had wasted his more than one hundred years of life.
After the noodles were removed, Luke quickly put them back on, not for any other reason than Yunluo's gaze was too intense.
He wondered if he had used any mind-controlling techniques.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the things have been brought."
Just then, Cao Zhengchun finally returned, carrying a wooden box in his hands. Clearly, the box contained Tianxiang Doukou (a type of cardamom).
Luke moved like a ghost, becoming an elusive afterimage, and swept past Cao Zhengchun with lightning speed, easily snatching the wooden box from his hand.
Luke's deep and authoritative voice drifted through the air, as if from a distant abyss.
"Cao Zhengchun, you'd better not try to deceive me. Otherwise, the position of Director of the Eastern Depot will probably have to be given to someone else."
Upon hearing this, Cao Zhengchun's face turned deathly pale, his terror evident in his expression.
Zhu Houzhao, standing to the side, had a thoughtful expression on his face and deep gaze.
Although he didn't know the name of this mysterious figure, he felt as if he had seen Luke's figure somewhere before, and that familiar feeling plunged him into a brief recollection.
Princess Yunluo still gazed longingly in the direction Luke had left, her eyes filled with infatuation and longing.
However, she did not realize that the precious mermaid pearl she always carried with her had quietly disappeared without her noticing.
The Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom in Cao Zhengchun's hand was the second one, while the third one was hidden in Princess Yunluo's Mermaid Little Bright Pearl.
Luke will not feel any remorse for taking Cao Zhengchun's things, because he stole them in the first place.
The original owner of this item should have been the Empress Dowager. Luke had already made a promise to her son, which was to be exchanged for the Heavenly Fragrance Bean.
However, Princess Yunluo took the mermaid pearl without asking, so Luke also left a gift for Princess Yunluo.
Luke pointed out to Princess Yunluo that the finger strike was not merely a simple intimidation, and at the same time, Luke also left a trace of true energy within Princess Yunluo's body.
The wisp of true energy that Luke injected into Yunluo County's body was perhaps just a tiny, insignificant part of the vast ocean to him, like a grain of sand in the sea, not worth mentioning.
However, for Princess Yunluo, this gift from a master was priceless and invaluable.
With Luke's pure and powerful true energy as her aid, Princess Yunluo's future cultivation path will be incredibly smooth, as if divinely aided.
Her training efficiency will greatly improve, and her progress can be described as miraculous, allowing her to achieve remarkable results in a short period of time.
This true energy from Luke was like giving her wings, allowing her to soar higher and higher in the sky of martial arts.
In terms of pure skill, with the enhancement of Luke's true energy, Princess Yunluo's skill improved by leaps and bounds in a short period of time, achieving a qualitative leap. Perhaps she dares not say that her martial arts are now comparable to the heroes of the world, but at the very least, in terms of skill level, she has the ability to contend with Guihai Yidao.
·· ·Requesting flowers··· ···
However, it is worth noting that although Princess Yunluo is already able to rival Guihai Yidao in terms of skill, in actual combat, the outcome often depends on many factors.
Guihai Yidao grew up by crawling through piles of corpses and experiencing countless life-and-death trials. His combat experience and mental fortitude are unmatched by Princess Yunluo.
Therefore, if a fight were to break out, Princess Yunluo would probably still find it difficult to defeat Guihai Yidao.
After all, there is an insurmountable gap between a pampered little princess and a seasoned swordsman.
The true energy Luke left in Yunluo's body was not inexhaustible and would gradually be consumed as Yunluo's skill improved, but it was enough to help her open up her Ren and Du meridians and enter the realm of a master.
..... ...... ....
This was Luke's gift to Yunluo as a token of his gratitude. Although it was taken without asking, Luke was a man of principle.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
After returning to the inn, which was the one that Sikong Zhaixing had bought, he originally planned to rest for a while, since he had indeed been quite busy today.
However, when he stepped into the inn, he knew that he would not be able to rest for the time being.
"This is terrible! You're injured like this. With your lightness skill, you should be able to escape at any time. Let me guess, who injured you?"
When Luke stepped into the inn, he saw Zhao Yun waiting eagerly and smelled the scent of blood.
However, the smell of blood did not come from Zhao Yun, but from Sikong Zhaixing, who was sitting in a chair leaning against the table, his face pale and blood on the corner of his mouth.
And that's how that joke came about.
Sikong Zhaixing's lightness skill is unparalleled in the world, which means he can escape very quickly.
When he first met Sikong Zhaixing at Yujian Manor, he knew that with Sikong Zhaixing's lightness skill, if he hadn't discovered the clues in advance, no one at Yujian Manor except Yin Zhong could have stopped him.
Even Yin Zhong has to consider whether his condition is good enough. If his old injury happens to relapse, even Yin Zhong will not be able to keep Sikong Zhaixing.
Of course, that was back then. Now, even if Luke had Sikong Zhaixing run 800 meters first, he could still beat him.
Chapter 216: Martial Arts Chronicle: The Severely Injured Sikong Zhaixing
Luke knew that Sikong Zhaixing's purpose in coming to the capital was to visit the number one manor in the world and see if the so-called number one thief in the world deserved the title of number one.
But Luke didn't understand. How could Sikong Zhaixing, with his exceptional lightness skill, have been injured, especially with such a serious injury, just by going to the number one manor in the world?
Could it be that the number one manor in the world has truly recruited a person who is worthy of the title of number one in the world?
Sikong Zhaixing wanted to roll her eyes at Luke to express her attitude, but because it aggravated her injuries, her lips twitched, and she could only say weakly.
"How long are you going to keep watching? Aren't you going to heal my wounds? I'll be dead if you wait any longer."