116: Chapter 116 The Feast at Hongmen

Gao Feng's gaze, like a battle saber that had been tempered a thousand times and tasted its fill of blood, slowly moved away from the household registration document that could change his destiny, and the gold-stamped token symbolizing the highest honor of the martial examinations.

In his eyes, there was not a hint of the greed or excitement one would expect; they were merely like an unfathomable ancient well, calmly resting upon the eyes of the old man opposite him—the three-Dynasty veteran of the Great Qian Dynasty and Imperial Tutor, Lin Zhengde, whose eyes seemed to see through all human hearts, wise and profound.

The air in the study seemed to have solidified. The blue smoke from the top-grade calming sandalwood incense rose in wisps, yet it could not disperse the sharp Aura of the invisible confrontation between the two.

Lin Zhengde twisted his long beard, his expression natural, with no emotion visible on his unruffled face.

But in his heart, a stormy sea had long since been stirred up!

He had lived for nearly a hundred years and had seen countless Prodigies, heroes, powerful figures, and ruthless overlords, but he had never seen a young man who, when faced with such a massive temptation to ascend to the heavens in a single step, could possess such terrifying composure, as if Mount Tai were crumbling before him without a change in his expression.

This was not just a matter of a firm Heart-Nature; this was a supreme strength born from the depths of his marrow, a kind of absolute self-confidence!

Gao Feng did not answer immediately, nor was he in a rush to accept that ladder to the heavens which countless people dreamed of and which would drive countless aristocratic youths in the Imperial capital mad.

Instead, he abruptly asked a question, one that seemed completely unrelated to everything before them:

Grand Tutor, as a Junior who has just arrived, I am not very familiar with the customs of the Imperial capital, so I dare to ask a question.

His voice was very flat, as if chatting about daily life.

I wonder, in this prosperous and expensive Imperial capital, how much does a bowl of the most ordinary, common Yangchun noodles cost?

This question, like a pebble thrown into a bottomless cold pool, instantly broke the heavy, almost suffocating atmosphere in the study.

Lin Zhengde was visibly stunned upon hearing this.

He had imagined countless reactions Gao Feng might have—tears of gratitude, wild joy, pretending to be calm while haggling, or even hypocritical hesitation...

But he never expected the other party to ask such a common, almost... unrefined question.

Yangchun noodles? How much?

This old man, who had spent his life navigating the stormy political struggles of the court, whose brain had calculated all the heroes of the world, actually began to subconsciously ponder the answer to this question.

Three wen? Or five wen? It seemed it had been some years since he had personally looked into such things.

Immediately, he reacted with a start!

The deep wrinkles on his face, marked by the passage of time, smoothed out like ice and snow in spring, followed by a hearty, sincere, and extremely loud burst of laughter that echoed boomingly in the study.

Hahaha... Hahahaha! Interesting! Truly an interesting little guy!

Lin Zhengde stroked his gray beard, laughing until he leaned back and forth, his eyes filled with undisguised appreciation and admiration.

He even happily pointed at Gao Feng and said to the old steward beside him, who had stood like a stone statue from beginning to end with a profound and steady Aura: Steward Fu, listen! Listen! This kid is beating around the bush with me, reminding me that there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world!

He stopped laughing, his wise eyes, slightly moist from the laughter, becoming sharp again, like a hawk above the firmament, locking tightly onto Gao Feng's face: Speak, young man. Between people like you and me, there is no need for those hypocritical pleasantries. Let us speak plainly.

What do you want to get from me?

Or rather, what can you... bring to me?

Gao Feng also smiled; his smile was faint, but it carried a composure and calmness that understood the ways of the world. Grand Tutor is direct, so if this Junior were to be coy, it would be asking for trouble.

He slowly extended three slender and powerful fingers, his voice not loud, but every word was like gold and stone, resonant and forceful.

I do not want money, nor do I want power.

Lin Zhengde raised an eyebrow, gesturing with interest for him to continue.

First, I need an identity. Gao Feng's voice was calm and firm, An upright, legitimate identity that can walk under the sun. Since I can remember, this Junior has been drifting through the blade-light and sword-shadows of the Northern Frontier, and I have long grown tired of the days of hiding and living in fear as a 'person without a household registration'.

I need my name to be legitimately carved into the government's household registry; I need my existence to be acknowledged and recorded by this vast Dynasty. Not as a lowly shadow that can be treated as a bandit or refugee at any time, and erased by anyone at will without leaving a trace.

This first condition was reasonable, even appearing somewhat... humble.

For an existence like Lin Zhengde, this was merely a trivial matter of moving his lips.

Lin Zhengde nodded calmly, signaling him to continue. He knew the real meat was yet to come.

Second, Gao Feng's voice suddenly turned cold, and a faint yet solid, iron-blooded Evil Qi quietly permeated from him, making the temperature in the study seem to drop a few degrees, I have an irreconcilable feud with Prince Ying!

His words were decisive and filled with undisguised hatred!

This Junior is a commoner with no power or influence, while Prince Ying Ji Lie is a noble Imperial prince with overwhelming power, his cronies spread throughout the court. If I were to try to take revenge on him by my own strength, it would be like hitting a stone with an egg. I might be able to touch his people, but he could use the power of the entire Dynasty to crush me, or even make me die without knowing how.

Therefore, I need you, Grand Tutor, before my wings are fully grown, to block all the overt and covert attacks from the court for me, and to hold up a sky for me where I can do things with peace of mind and accumulate strength!

Lin Zhengde's eyes narrowed slightly.

This condition was much heavier than the first. Protecting an ordinary person and protecting a mortal enemy of Prince Ying were two completely different concepts.

This was equivalent to tying the entire Grand Tutors Residence to his chariot of revenge, completely and openly pushing it to the opposite side of the Prince Ying's Mansion!

But Lin Zhengde was not angry; instead, the appreciation in his eyes grew even stronger.

He liked this honesty, and he appreciated this sky-high bloodthirstiness that dared to avenge every grievance! A person who did not even dare to admit his own hatred in public, how could one expect him to shoulder greater responsibilities or confront a behemoth like Prince Ying?

Is this the basis for your courage to cripple that eunuch Wei Xuan in the streets of Wangjiang City? Very good, you have guts. Lin Zhengde commented lightly, gesturing for him to continue.

Third...

Gao Feng paused, a sharp edge colder than the ten-thousand-year glaciers of Siberia flashing in his narrow eyes, his entire Aura climbing to its peak in that instant.

His voice was very low and deep, yet it seemed to carry a terrifying power capable of shaking mountains, as he said clearly and distinctly:

I need... to enter the Tiangong Pavilion of the Imperial Library! To consult all the unique copies and secret records regarding the lost crafts of Ancient Mechanism Arts and Hundred-Refined Steel!

Boom!

When the three words Tiangong Pavilion were spat out from Gao Feng's mouth, Lin Zhengde's eyes, which had originally been like an ancient well, suddenly contracted into the most dangerous needle points!

An invisible pressure, a hundred times more terrifying than the Evil Qi of the sea of corpses and blood on Gao Feng, erupted like a volcano that had been dormant for ten thousand years!

Do you know what you are saying? !

Lin Zhengde's voice was no longer gentle or wise; it became grim and filled with extreme warning, every word sounding as if it were squeezed out from between his teeth!

Tiangong Pavilion!

What kind of place was that? It was the highest technological treasury of the Great Qian Dynasty and the core hub supporting the operation of the entire Dynasty's massive war machine! What was collected inside were the crystallization of the wisdom of countless generations of skilled craftsmen. Any inconspicuous technology leaked from it could cause an uproar among the people or even change the direction of a local war!

Moreover, it concerned the Ancient Mechanism Arts and Hundred-Refined Steel, two things listed as taboos among taboos by the Imperial family!

The former was rumored to be able to create terrifying war Puppets that did not consume any Spirit Stone, relying solely on pure mechanical power to rival high-level Martial Artists, or even form battle formations to surround and kill Grandmasters!

The latter was the supreme secret method for forging Sharp Weapons and arming Dao soldiers' battle formations! A thousand years ago, the Great Qian Taizu Emperor Ji Hao relied on three thousand heavy cavalry armed to the teeth with Hundred-Refined Steel to sweep across the six directions, pacify the eight wastelands, and conquer this vast land stretching for ten thousand miles!

But for some reason, these two Heaven-Defying arts, capable of changing destiny, were lost overnight, becoming the greatest regret and swan song in the long river of history!

For countless years, the Imperial family had spent countless manpower and material resources, gathering countless strange people and scholars from all over the world, but none could restore even one ten-thousandth of them.

And the young man before him was plotting exactly this!

At this moment, Lin Zhengde understood instantly.

He was not an injured tiger seeking shelter; he was a supreme dragon lurking in the abyss, waiting for the wind and clouds to gather!

What he wanted was not some personal grudge; he wanted to forge a set of sharp claws and fangs for the barren, bitterly cold, and tough-minded Northern Frontier behind him, enough to tear apart all rules and even stand on equal footing with the entire Imperial Dynasty!

His ambition was boundless! So large that it made even Lin Zhengde feel a palpitation of fear!

The atmosphere in the study was suppressed to the extreme; the air seemed to have turned into thick mercury, making it hard to breathe. Steward Fu, who was standing by, already had fine cold sweat on his forehead; he silently took a step back, trying to minimize his presence. It had been many, many years since he had seen the master truly angry.

For a long, long time.

The terrifying pressure like a mountain collapse and tsunami on Lin Zhengde slowly receded like a tide.

He looked deeply, deeply at Gao Feng. That gaze was complex to the extreme—there was shock, wariness, and scrutiny, but more than anything, it was an irrepressible, almost pathological excitement!

It was as if a peerless chess fanatic who had been lonely for a hundred years had finally found a terrifying opponent who could play against him, and whose chess skill might even be above his own!

Good... what a Northern Frontier madman with ulterior motives! Lin Zhengde slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, and on that serious face, a smile that was almost crazy bloomed, Your ambition is even greater than I imagined! That is right, if you were truly a mediocre person who knew his place, how would you be qualified to make this deal with me that could stir up the universe?

I agree to your first two conditions! From this moment on, you are Lin Fan, the grandson of my old friend! As long as I am alive for one day, no matter who it is in this court, they shall not even think about touching a hair on your head in the open!

"As for your third condition..." Lin Zhengde's smile slowly faded, his expression becoming incredibly serious and solemn. "Tiangong Pavilion is a Forbidden Ground of the royal family with strict rules; even I cannot allow you to enter and exit at will. However, there are exceptions to everything. As long as you can accomplish what I ask of you and prove your irreplaceable, immense value to His Majesty, I can stake this decrepit, candle-in-the-wind old body of mine, and risk this old face, seasoned by a century in the imperial court, to... plot this once for you!"

As his words fell, it was Gao Feng's turn to hold his breath.

He knew that the four words "plot this once," spoken by this three-Dynasty veteran who wielded power over the entire court, carried an earth-shattering weight! This was equivalent to a near-certain promise!

Gao Feng took a deep breath, said no more, and simply uttered four words in a deep voice: "Please, Grand Tutor, give your instructions."

"Very good." Lin Zhengde nodded in approval and similarly extended three fingers, though his fingers were withered like eagle claws, full of power.

"In exchange, I also need you to agree to three things."

"First," Lin Zhengde's gaze suddenly became as sharp as a knife, as if it could pierce a person's Soul, "in the Martial Examination palace test three days from now, you must take the top spot! Furthermore, I do not want a mediocre top scholar; I want you to take the top spot in the most shocking, domineering, and indisputable way possible! I need a hearty and earth-shattering victory to justify your name and to pave a broad, smooth road for all my subsequent layouts! I want the entire God Capital, and even the whole world, to tremble at the sound of your name, Lin Fan!"

"Second," his voice became low and powerful, "before the final victory is decided in this struggle for the foundation of the country between me and Prince Ying... or rather, between the Crown Prince's faction and Prince Ying's faction, you, Lin Fan, must act as a member of my Grand Tutors Residence and become the... sharpest, yet most disobedient blade in my hand!"

He deliberately emphasized the words "disobedient," his eyes flashing with the cunning light of an old fox.

The corners of Gao Feng's mouth rose slightly; he understood instantly.

Lin Zhengde did not need a fawning, obedient lapdog that followed orders; he needed a rebellious, solitary wolf that acted only by its own rules! A peerless, fierce blade that could be used to break all unspoken rules and do all the dirty, tiring, and ruthless work that "decent people" found inconvenient to do!

"Third, and this is the most important point."

Lin Zhengde's voice became incredibly grave at this moment, even carrying a hint of imperceptible pleading and fragility.

"You must protect my grandson, Tianyu, and ensure his safety! That child, Tianyu, has been weak and sickly since childhood, unable to practice martial arts, and his personality is too kind and benevolent. In this God Capital where people are devoured without a trace, he is like an undefended, pure white lamb. The previous assassination attempt has already sounded the alarm for me. I want you to become his most reliable shadow; no matter the circumstances, you must ensure his life remains completely secure!"

After hearing these three conditions, Gao Feng didn't even hesitate for a breath and nodded heavily.

"Deal."

No grandiloquent words, no oaths or vows, just these two simple yet heavy-as-Mount-Tai words.

This was a thorough political transaction and alliance where each party got what they needed.

He calmly reached out, and under Lin Zhengde's expectant gaze, slowly tucked the household registration document stamped with the government's vermilion seal and the heavy Martial Examination gold medal on the table into his robes.

The document felt warm and real in his hand.

From this moment on, he was Lin Fan, the grandson of Grand Tutor Lin Zhengde's old friend! A mysterious "lucky one" from a small border town who had ascended to the heavens in a single step, possessing a God Capital household registration and the monstrous background of the Grand Tutors Residence!

At the same time, he was the sharpest, most mysterious, and most unpredictable peerless, fierce blade that this three-Dynasty veteran, who wielded power over the entire court, had thrust into the muddy waters of the God Capital, which were about to boil over!

The moment that household registration document and Martial Examination gold medal, which held his future and hope, were tucked into his robes, the Aura of Gao Feng underwent an earth-shattering change.

That iron-blooded Evil Qi, forged in the mountains of corpses and seas of blood from the northern border, which seemed capable of freezing the Soul, was silently and completely reined in, like ice and snow meeting the scorching sun.

In its place was a more restrained, deeper, yet more dangerous calmness. At this moment, he was like a bottomless, ancient well; on the surface, it was calm and unruffled, but no one knew if a peerless Dragon, capable of stirring the heavens and overturning the state, was lurking in those dark depths.

This transaction with Lin Zhengde was less of a transaction and more of a tacit, mutually agreeable alliance.

He needed the towering tree of the Grand Tutors Residence, capable of shielding him from the wind and rain, as a sanctuary to survive in this crisis-ridden forest of power that was the God Capital.

And Lin Zhengde, that old fox who had long been soaked into a Essence Spirit in the bloody storms of the court, urgently needed him—this "blade" that belonged to no faction, with a background as clean as a blank sheet of paper, and sharp enough to cut through all unspoken rules—to sever the fatal tumor that was coiled above the court like a festering sore, eroding the national destiny of the Great Qian Dynasty day and night.

"Lin Fan..."

Gao Feng silently repeated this brand-new name in his heart, feeling its gradual Fusion with his own Soul. The corners of his mouth curled into a faint arc, carrying three parts mockery and seven parts coldness.

From the moment he stepped out of this study, the "Guardian Deity" Gao Feng, who had once stirred up winds and clouds in the northern border and was revered as a god by countless border inhabitants, was dead.

What remained alive was merely the "distant grandson of the Grand Tutors Residence"—Lin Fan, a newcomer to the God Capital, holding the gold medal, and about to make a shocking debut on this grand stage called the "Martial Examination."

Lin Zhengde looked at the young man before him who had completed his role transition in almost an instant; those wise, murky eyes were filled with undisguised appreciation and expectations as deep as the sea.

He had lived for nearly a century and had seen countless brilliant Geniuses and outstanding figures, but never had anyone been like the Lin Fan before him, giving him a contradictory feeling of being completely unfathomable yet incredibly reassuring.

He knew that this stone he had personally cast would surely stir up sky-high waves in the stagnant, treacherous, and muddy waters of the God Capital—waves capable of overturning the Dragon boat!

"Go." Lin Zhengde seemed truly a bit weary; he waved his hand, as if the earlier confrontation had exhausted all his mental energy. His tone at this moment was like that of the most ordinary, kind elder giving final instructions to a Junior about to embark on a long journey.

"Young people should look like young people; be more vibrant, more ostentatious, and don't always look so burdened with worries."

His tone shifted, and his eyes suddenly became sharp. "Tonight, that little brat from Prince Ying's Residence, Ji Xuan, is hosting an 'Elite Banquet' at the Deng Long Pavilion in the east of the city, inviting all the young talents who passed the provincial and Prefecture Examination and came to the capital for the palace test. I have already accepted the invitation for you."

"Go, and let them all see clearly what kind of peerless brilliance my, Lin Zhengde's, grandson possesses!"

Upon hearing this, a terrifying flash of light flickered deep within Lin Fan's eyes.

He knew that the first test had arrived.

And it had come so quickly, so directly!

Lin Zhengde not only wanted him to go, but to go with flair; he wanted him to raise the banner of the Grand Tutors Residence, which had been silent for years and was almost forgotten, high and arrogantly once again before this group of the most arrogant and conceited Prodigies in the God Capital!

This "Elite Banquet" was clearly a dragon's den and tiger's lair carefully prepared for him!

"Lin Fan, accepts the order."

Lin Fan did not retreat in the slightest; instead, a long-lost sense of heroism burned in his chest. He solemnly performed an impeccable ninety-degree bow to Lin Zhengde, the proper etiquette of a Junior toward an elder.

This bow was for his identity, for the alliance, and even more so... for the magnificent future about to unfold!

Then, he turned and walked out with long strides, without a shred of lingering attachment, leaving the study that had decided his future destiny and might well decide the future destiny of the entire Great Qian Dynasty.

With a creak, the heavy door was gently closed by him from the outside.

Outside the door, under the soft light, the old steward of the Grand Tutors Residence, Uncle Fu, was already respectfully waiting there, holding a brand-new set of moon-white Confucian robes and a set of luxurious yet understated accessories. His attitude was even more humble and respectful than before.

Not far away, Big Fool and Wulu had also changed out of their rugged, travel-worn outfits from the border and were wearing the deep blue guard uniforms made of fine silk, uniformly issued by the Grand Tutors Residence.

Although one still had a silly, curious look on his face and the other was full of coldness and vigilance—their rebellious and fierce, bloodthirsty Aura unable to be completely concealed even by the finest clothing—they had finally managed to blend into the atmosphere of this prosperous imperial capital, no longer appearing as abrupt as before.

"Young Master." Uncle Fu respectfully offered the clothing. "The Master has instructed that tonight at the Elite Banquet at Deng Long Pavilion, you represent the face of the Grand Tutors Residence; you must not lose your dignity."

Lin Fan nodded, took the clothing, and changed into it quickly under the corridor, as if no one else was around.

When he had changed into the well-tailored moon-white Confucian robes, tied the warm jade carved with the Auspicious Beast Qilin around his waist, and hung the long sword with the antique scabbard, which he had "borrowed" from the Liu Family treasury, at his waist, his entire temperament changed once again.

Before, he was an inner abyss; now, he was like a peerless piece of jade that had been carefully polished—his sharp edge completely hidden, gentle as water, yet inadvertently revealing a sense of luxury and aloofness that made people afraid to look directly at him.

"Let's go." Lin Fan's gaze crossed the deep courtyard, looking toward the night sky of the God Capital, which was illuminated as bright as day by endless lights, the corners of his mouth curling into a cold smile.

"We are going to attend a... Hongmen Banquet."

He took his two most loyal brothers and, under the personal guidance of the old steward, boarded the luxurious carriage that had been waiting for a long time in front of the residence—its body crafted from century-old rosewood, inlaid with gold and gemstones, and the interior lined with thick white bear fur carpets, enough to display the majesty and foundation of the Grand Tutors Residence.

With a crisp shout from the coachman, four magnificent, snow-white horses without a single stray hair lifted their hooves and pulled the carriage, like a white bolt of lightning, galloping towards the brightly lit "Deng Long Pavilion," which had already become the center of the storm for the entire God Capital.