Chapter 9: Princess

“What?! Long’er has reached the fourth stage of Qi Accumulation?!” In the eastern dining hall, Madam Du, Zhou, rarely lost her composure in front of her father-in-law, crying out in surprise. Quickly realizing her lapse, she glanced awkwardly at the smiling old master seated at the head of the table, then seized her son beside her and began to scrutinize him from head to toe.

Sensing his mother’s unspoken questions, Du Long took the initiative and circulated the Haotian Aura within his body, stopping at the intensity of the fourth stage. He found that by releasing the aura at a certain stage, outsiders could only perceive him as having reached that level of strength.

“Mmm...” Zhou, herself no weakling, could clearly sense the aura emanating from Du Long—indeed, he had attained the fourth stage of Qi Accumulation. Unable to contain herself, she covered her mouth and wept softly.

“Mother, don’t cry! I promise that from now on, I will never let you down again...” Seeing his mother cry tears of joy for his achievements, Du Long became flustered. In his previous life, even when he had caused irreparable disasters and was scorned by the whole world, only his mother had stood by him, encouraging him without hesitation.

Toward his mother, Du Long felt only deep regret and guilt.

He vowed: since Heaven had shown mercy and granted him another chance at life, in this lifetime, he would never let her feel sorrow again. He would make her proud to have a son like him!

“Enough, enough! Today is a day of celebration—no need for tears! Have the servants prepare more food and wine; I want to drink heartily with my darling grandson, hahaha!” The old master waved his hand, laughing heartily, though one could see the glimmer of tears in his eyes. For years, his grandson’s physical condition had weighed heavily on his heart. Now, with the problem resolved, he could finally breathe easy.

“Someone! Tell the kitchens to prepare more dishes and wine!” Sitting directly opposite Du Long, Du Zhentian called out. Though he, as the father, hadn’t uttered a word until now, the joy on his face was unmistakable. Perhaps due to his long years in the military, he wasn’t accustomed to expressing his feelings openly and maintained a strict demeanor.

“Huh! Long’er, what’s going on? Why has your aura vanished again?” Zhou noticed that Du Long’s aura quickly faded to an undetectable level and voiced her confusion.

“I’m not sure! Maybe it’s related to my earlier constitution. Unless I deliberately release my aura, I’m just like an ordinary person with no martial skills—even Grandpa can’t tell,” Du Long replied with a sheepish laugh.

“This... It won’t happen again like ten years ago, will it?” Not only Zhou, but both the old master and Du Zhentian grew solemn; they could not accept Du Long reverting to how he was ten years ago.

“Don’t worry! This time, it feels completely different from ten years ago. That scene won’t happen again!” Even Du Long wasn’t entirely confident, but to put his elders at ease, he could only feign certainty.

“Let’s not dwell on such gloomy matters! As Long’er said, things will only get better from now on! Come, everyone, let’s eat!” The old master quickly changed the subject, unwilling to linger on that concern. All they could do was keep a watchful eye and take things as they came.

Du Long hesitated, then raised his chopsticks and spoke up, “I hope we can keep this matter confidential for now...”

“This is wonderful news; why keep it secret?” Madam Du placed a large piece of meat in Du Long’s bowl, puzzled. The old master and Du Zhentian also turned to him, waiting for his explanation.

“In those days, I was considered a prodigy in cultivation, praised by countless people. But when I fell from grace, those same people instantly changed their attitude, showering me with scorn, ridicule, and insults. Over ten years, I finally understood the wisdom of humility and the dangers of arrogance. Henceforth, regardless of my strength, I will keep a low profile.”

Everyone stared in astonishment at Du Long. This boy had changed so much; his determination was unmistakable, and he was clearly not joking.

“Haha! Good, very good! My precious grandson has finally grown up!” The old master stroked his beard and repeated his praise, while Du Zhentian and Zhou looked at their son with relief and joy—he seemed so much more mature.

In the dining hall, the family of four was immersed in warmth and happiness. The little golden snake had its own portion—a platter of tender, aromatic meats, prepared at Du Long’s request. Under the curious gazes of the elders, the creature devoured the food without the slightest restraint.

Although Du Long was not yet of age and should not drink with the adults, the Du family, being a military household, was lenient on such matters. The old master paid no heed to his age and had already shared countless cups with him.

Madam Du could only shake her head in resignation; today was a joyful occasion, and she wouldn’t dampen the old master’s spirits—not to mention, the boy had already indulged plenty in revelry outside in recent years.

...

“Du Long! The sun’s almost up—get out of bed!” Amid his muddled dreams, a voice at least a hundred decibels loud startled Du Long awake as he clutched his pillow, drooling.

He scrambled up and opened his eyes to see his sister, Cai Ni, staring at him with her beautiful eyes, giggling mischievously. Du Long rolled his eyes in exasperation, “Big sister! Ruining someone’s dream is sure to bring divine retribution! Tell me, what’s your purpose in sneaking into another man’s bedchamber?”

Cai Ni burst into laughter, shaking with amusement. After a while, she stopped and, tapping her left cheek with a finger, teased, “Shameless! You call this pigsty of yours a bedchamber? Look at your drool—it's soaked the pillow, how disgusting!”

Du Long, wiping his mouth instinctively, replied with some embarrassment, “So, what brings you to my pigsty so early?”

“Smart boy! The sun’s already high, and you think it’s early? Get up and freshen up. I finally caught you at home—today, push everything aside and accompany your sister to a gathering!” Cai Ni finally stated her purpose.

“A gathering?” Du Long asked as he got out of bed and searched for his clothes.

“Yes! A Longquan Palace gathering. The New Year is approaching; this is the last event of the year, and there will be plenty of people. Let’s go and enjoy the excitement—it’s much livelier than the usual small gatherings!”

“Longquan Palace gathering?” Du Long’s heart stirred; he immediately understood the nature of the event. It was a gathering of the elite sons and daughters of the Haotian Empire’s capital. In his previous life, he had attended such events a few times.

Although these gatherings provided an opportunity to meet the heirs of the nobility, Du Long was not particularly interested and slowed his dressing.

“Are you a turtle? So slow! Do you expect your sister to help you dress?” Seeing his leisurely pace, Cai Ni grew irritated. “You used to beg me to take you to the Longquan Palace gatherings, and now you’re not in a hurry?”

Du Long remembered now: in his previous life, he had often pleaded with his sister to take him to the Longquan Palace gatherings, but was repeatedly refused for various reasons. Now, Cai Ni was willing to bring him—likely because, after the New Year, he would be sixteen and eligible to attend.

Yet, with memories of his past life, he felt little desire to go. His reputation in the capital was so terrible that none of the elite sons and daughters would interact with him; they all treated him like filth.

“Alright! I’m dressed, see? I’ll go wash up. But big sister, you’re so eager to see your beloved—try not to make it too obvious! As a woman, you must be reserved, or you might scare him away!” Du Long teased with a smile, knowing that in his previous life, his sister secretly admired Yang Yunfeng, the third son of the Yang family.

Cai Ni blushed, shocked that Du Long had seen through her feelings. Her crush on Yang Yunfeng was her most closely guarded secret, never revealed to anyone. She wondered, ‘How did this brat know?’

“What beloved? Stop spouting nonsense, or I’ll skin you!” Embarrassed and annoyed, Cai Ni glared at Du Long and reached for his ear.

Du Long, well accustomed to dodging his sister’s ear-pulling over the years, slipped away ahead of time to wash up.

...

Longquan Palace, located in the eastern suburbs of the capital, was a picturesque retreat. The royal family had built a palace here, adjacent to Longquan Lake. Across the lake lay Longquan Palace itself.

To share the lake with the royal residence showed that its owner possessed extraordinary status. In his previous life, Du Long had sensed the formidable background behind Longquan Palace.

Riding fine steeds with Cai Ni through the winter wind, they arrived to find Longquan Palace bustling with traffic. In the cold weather, most young nobles preferred carriages for warmth rather than riding.

“Cai Ni! You’re here too? Perfect, let’s go in together!” As they handed their horses to the attendants at the palace gate, a lively voice drew their attention.

A delicate girl, about Du Long’s age, jumped down from a golden carriage adorned with dragons and phoenixes. She wore a pink dress with gold trim and, due to the cold, a cloak lined with fire spirit fox fur.

‘Princess Fire Phoenix!’ At the sight of her pure face and the lively, cunning glint in her eyes, Du Long immediately recalled the title. She was none other than the emperor’s cherished daughter, Princess Qin Huofeng.

This girl, outwardly innocent, was anything but. Anyone fooled by her appearance would suffer terribly. In his previous life, Du Long had repeatedly suffered defeats at her hands—her ruthlessness left him scarred, making him avoid her like a mouse avoids a cat.

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