Chapter 1920: Ample and More Than Enough

Prince Dai was leisurely enjoying grapes while lounging on a rocking chair in his backyard.

What's the happiest thing for a married man? Of course, it's when his wife visits her family!

After returning from court, he found that his wife had been called back to her family, apparently because her father needed to discuss something with her. He didn't inquire further. The Meng family was full of schemes and deep thoughts, often pondering things that his 'little brain' couldn't comprehend. Why should a person like me bother seeking trouble? It's better to simply enjoy life.

However, he felt a bit dejected eating grapes alone here. He knew that in other noble households, maidservants and concubines would peel grapes and place them directly into their masters' mouths. The sweet, luscious juice and the fragrant, soft hands – just thinking about it was exciting. But Meng Chan kept him on too tight a leash; he had no concubines or pretty maidservants around him. Alas, the more he thought about it, the more sorrowful he felt.

"Once I become emperor, I'll definitely establish a grand harem," he mused. "Hmph, would Meng Chan dare control me then? The court officials would denounce her! An emperor favoring many women isn't about being lustful; it's for expanding the royal lineage and ensuring heirs. That's an emperor's fundamental duty. If the royal lineage became sparse because of her jealousy, that would be a grave sin." But for now, these were just thoughts, as he wasn't emperor yet.

However, today presented another opportunity. He had specifically sent someone to Prince Jin's manor to deliver a message, just to see if that woman would be sensible. For the sake of the He family, she surely would be. He waited for Princess Consort Jin to come knocking. That woman had a soft nature, unlike his own 'tigress'. Hmm, wouldn't he be able to do as he pleased then? He might even be able to save the precious Forget-Sorrow Rosemary. As long as Princess Consort Jin could make him happy, he would spare her father and other family members.

Ah, this tactic was truly effective. Holding such leverage, with the power to control a family's life and death at any moment, was far more potent than using drugs. Today, by rare chance, Chan'er wasn't home. Conveniently, she usually didn't assign him any delicate, soft-bodied maidservants, so now he had the freedom to do as he pleased alone.

"Pass down the order: if Princess Consort Jin comes looking for me later, invite her in immediately and inform me without delay." He felt uneasy, so he instructed the young attendant at the door.

"Yes, Your Highness!" The attendant scurried off to relay the message, eager to show his loyalty.

"What a day!" Prince Dai murmured, gently swaying in his chair. In court, the Crown Princess's face had been so gloomy it looked like it was about to rain. And that young man named Zu, he actually had the audacity to try and bring him down? That fellow, just a country bumpkin three generations back, utterly clueless about how politics worked. How could he possibly be a match for a prince like me? Prince Jin, that fool, actually fell to such a brute.

But then again, he should actually thank him. If it weren't for him, how else would he have had the chance to get close to Princess Consort Jin today? Thinking this way, the slap he received in the palace felt much less painful. Never mind, he would settle accounts with him later. After all, the Qin family members had lost their legs and their lifelong cultivation this time. Compared to their losses, what was one slap to him? In any case, Chan'er and his father-in-law would surely devise a plan for retaliation and help him get his revenge.

Just as he was reveling in his delight, a terrifying roar erupted in the courtyard.

"Zhao Ping, get out here!"

Prince Dai, caught completely off guard, jolted in fright and tumbled directly from his lounge chair onto the ground. It took him a while to regain his composure. "What the hell is going on?!"

Rewinding a little, Zu An made his way to Prince Dai's manor, observing its grand crimson gate and rows of gleaming yellow copper studs, which made it look exceptionally imposing. Several guards stood watch at the manor entrance, and a gatekeeper was there greeting visitors.

Seeing Zu An walk straight towards the main gate, the gatekeeper stepped forward. "What is your business, sir? Do you have an appointment or an invitation?"

Zu An ignored him and walked straight to the entrance. The gatekeeper's expression changed. He quickly shot a look at the guards nearby. A sneer flashed across the guards' faces. Someone actually dared to cause trouble at the prince's manor? They were all bored with nothing to do. This 'pretty boy' seemed like a good source of entertainment. After all, he showed no signs of qi fluctuation, appearing like an ordinary person. One punch from them and he'd probably cry for a long time. As for the stranger's identity, in the capital, whose status could possibly be higher than their own prince's?

Seeing the guards surround him, Zu An gave them a cold glance. The guards instantly felt as if they'd fallen into an ice cellar, trembling all over. It was as if they were being stared down by a primordial beast, utterly frozen and unable to move a muscle.

Zu An paid them no mind and walked directly to the magnificent gate, kicking it. The two heavy doors collapsed with a crash.

The gatekeeper had originally intended to chase after him and question why the guards hadn't stopped him, but upon witnessing this scene, he immediately halted. The prince's manor gate had been carefully selected for its grandeur, built with solid materials weighing over a thousand catties. Furthermore, he'd heard that defensive formations had been specially added to it within the manor. Yet, this young man had casually kicked it flying? Human strength?

Immediately following that was the shout, "Zhao Ping, get out here!"

The gatekeeper's eyes rolled back, and he promptly fainted. At that moment, even if he wasn't truly dizzy, he had to pretend to be. If Prince Dai and Princess Consort Dai were to investigate later, he could claim he fought bravely but was overwhelmed and genuinely knocked unconscious. But if they saw him standing by, wide-eyed, behind the young man without intervening, he would be in deep trouble.

Zu An continued into the manor, at which point the guards inside also began to react. A group of fully armed men rushed out, their leader drawing his saber. "Who dares to cause trouble at the prince's manor?!"

"Scram!" Zu An roared the word, directly employing the Lion's Roar technique. Though well-equipped, the guards were instantly knocked off their feet by the invisible sound wave, tumbling to the ground, clutching their heads and writhing in agony.

Zu An's face was devoid of expression. He stepped over the fallen men and walked directly through the next door. Some slower-arriving guards hadn't been affected by the sound wave, but as they watched him slowly advance, they instinctively recoiled, as if something terrifying preceded him.

At that moment, a rustling sound heralded the appearance of a squad of crossbowmen on the surrounding rooftops. They all raised their crossbows and aimed at Zu An. Each crossbow glinted with blue light, faint formation patterns visible, clearly indicating they were high-quality military weapons. A prince's manor was naturally different from ordinary places; its guards were equipped with much finer gear.

Without a moment's hesitation, they all pulled their triggers almost simultaneously. This man had forced his way in like this; seeing their comrades outside, sprawled and screaming, it was clear he meant ill will. No further words were needed. Dozens of crossbow bolts streaked forth like dark rays of light. Even some unexpected martial arts masters would be riddled like porcupines by their speed. Even if someone could evade the first wave, these crossbows could be reloaded extremely fast, quickly unleashing another barrage. The enemy would only be able to desperately run, ultimately unable to escape the fate of being shot full of holes.

However, the next scene made everyone's eyes widen. The opponent remained perfectly still, not moving an inch. Yet, he also wasn't riddled like a porcupine. This was because all the crossbow bolts, upon entering a ten-foot radius around him, simply stopped mid-air. It was known that a single crossbow bolt, enhanced by a formation, could pierce through a boulder or ten layers of ordinary armor. Yet, so many shot together had no effect at all?

At that moment, Zu An took a step forward, and the crossbow bolts suspended in mid-air instantly disintegrated into dust; not even the hardest arrowheads remained. The guards couldn't help but swallow hard. Only then did they realize what was happening, and frantically began reloading their crossbows. However, Zu An gave them no such chance. With a casual wave of his hand, an invisible surge of energy scattered outwards. The men felt an immense force strike them, causing them to lose their footing and fall from the rooftops. Their bodies felt utterly weak and sore, and they lost their combat ability for a short period.

Zu An entered another courtyard. Just then, Prince Dai, leading a group of personal guards, stormed out. Seeing the guards sprawled everywhere, he was momentarily stunned, then angrily exclaimed, "Zu, are you insane?!"

Rage value from Zhao Ping: 666666666...

Zu An quietly looked at him. "Isn't this what you wanted? I'm simply obliging you."

Seeing his calm gaze, Zhao Ping felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine. "Don't act recklessly! Do you know the consequences of what you're doing today?!" Chan'er wasn't here, and neither was his father-in-law. Being alone in the manor, he felt a little panicked. At that moment, he no longer felt any joy from his wife visiting her family. He only wished she had stayed longer, leaving him without his anchor.

"Trying to play by the rules again?" Zu An sighed. "I tried to explain the rules to you in court earlier, but it's a pity you didn't appreciate it."

Prince Dai swallowed with difficulty. "Zu, do you really think that just because you fortuitously killed Prince Jin before, you can deal with me this time? Prince Jin was rash and advanced with light forces, but this is my territory now."

As soon as he finished speaking, numerous figures emerged from various rooms, each exuding vibrant vital energy. The weakest among them were at the seventh rank, while most were at the eighth or ninth rank. In total, there were surprisingly forty to fifty of them! In the Great Zhou Dynasty, this could be considered a considerable force. One must remember that not many people in court had even reached the ninth rank.

These were masters the Prince Dai's manor had recruited over many years. Cultivation was known to be very expensive, and these individuals were often unaffiliated cultivators without sect backing or family connections. What they lacked most were money and cultivation resources, so they could only seek patronage from major families, serving as enforcers. Their potential was often limited, so they had resigned themselves to their fate. Although the imperial court stipulated that reaching a certain cultivation level granted one the qualification to become a corresponding official, it was merely a qualification. Countless people across the land were waiting in line as reserves. However, those official positions were often largely divided among the descendants of major families, leaving only a tiny fraction for ordinary people. Only truly astonishing and brilliant individuals usually had a chance. For rogue cultivators like them, who were of average talent in the cultivation world and had no hope of becoming officials, there were naturally no sufficient cultivation resources to advance further. Thus, they could only bow to reality and seek refuge with these princes and nobles, serving as guest retainers. They served as enforcers for them, receiving cultivation resources in return—a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Prince Jin, due to his poor health, wouldn't live long anyway, so he had no interest in recruiting these rogue cultivators. As a result, when he and Elder Shen died, Prince Jin's entire manor became precarious, to the point where even Princess Consort Jin was being bullied. But Prince Dai's manor was different. The couple was ambitious and had naturally begun actively recruiting very early on. Moreover, apart from the masters already in Prince Dai's manor, the Meng family had also sent a contingent of people as a precaution. After all, Zu An had been able to kill Prince Jin previously, clearly possessing extraordinary combat power.

However, with so many masters, combined with the manor's guards and troops, even two or three Grandmasters coming here would likely suffer a tragic defeat on the spot. Shen Xingchao, in particular, wasn't a particularly remarkable Grandmaster. He had relied on a flying sword talisman acquired from an unknown source to wreak havoc. Without that talisman, his strength would have been reduced by at least half. Even if Zu An could defeat Shen Xingchao, Prince Jin's protector, it wouldn't be by much. This force would be more than enough to deal with him.