27: Chapter 27 The Emperor Still Makes a Profit

As soon as they saw the Emperor, the three of them—Xu Linxue included—knelt down impatiently.

Especially Xu Linxue; when she learned that the person her son had offended was actually a disciple of Kong Deming, she regretted it so much her insides turned green.

"Imperial Brother!"

"Uncle!"

The mother and son spoke almost simultaneously, attempting to awaken the familial affection within the Emperor's heart.

If this had been any other time, the Emperor might have softened his heart, but the person the mother and son had offended this time was the Empire's pillar, Kong Deming. If he could not handle this properly, his reign as Emperor would likely come to an end.

"When you were causing trouble, why didn't you remember that you had an older brother and an uncle in me? Lin Xue, you and Tianyu have truly been spoiled by me. I am very disappointed in you both!"

He then waved his hand and commanded: "Pass on my decree: effective immediately, strip Xu Linxue of her status as Princess and demote her to a commoner. Her son, Xu Tianyu, is to be expelled from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy and shall never be enrolled again!"

This punishment sounded severe, but in reality, it was painless.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the Emperor was trying to shield the Princess and her son.

Even if Xu Linxue lost her status as a Princess, she was still the Emperor's own sister. A casual handout of wealth from the Emperor would be enough for her to continue living a prosperous life.

Moreover, no official would be blind enough to provoke her, so this punishment was essentially meaningless to Xu Linxue.

As for the matter of expelling Xu Tianyu from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, one could argue it was actually protecting him.

He had offended Kong Deming's disciple; it was impossible for him to continue lingering at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy.

The Emperor's action could be described as protecting his nephew. After all, this was Mingdu, and the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy was not the only academy around; he could simply enroll in another one later.

If anyone with a discerning eye could see this, how could the old fox Kong Deming not see it?

Facing the expectant gaze cast by the Emperor, Kong Deming immediately let out a cold snort and said: "Does Your Majesty think that I am old and my mind has become muddled?"

His voice was heavy, carrying intense pressure that bore down directly upon the Emperor.

There were several other Level 9 Soul Engineers in the great hall, but at this moment, not a single one dared to step forward to intervene.

"Do you really take me for a fool? I will give you one more chance to reconsider." Looking across the entire Sun Moon Empire, Kong Deming was the only one who dared to speak to the Emperor like this.

After all, in terms of seniority, the Emperor could be considered someone Kong Deming had watched grow up. Towards Kong Deming, he felt more respect, a respect that even surpassed that for his own father's generation.

"Old Kong, calm your anger. I haven't finished speaking yet." The Emperor was not a child; how could he not understand the meaning behind Kong Deming's words?

He did not care at all about the punishment of Xu Linxue and the other.

What Kong Deming cared about was how Mu Qingci's losses would be compensated.

"Old Kong, what do you think of this? This incident caused Young Brother Mu's spirit tool to lose one usage opportunity; I will compensate him with another Level 8 defensive spirit tool, how about that?"

What was the value of a Level 8 defensive spirit tool? It was almost standard equipment for a Level 9 Soul Engineer; after all, it was impossible for a Level 9 Soul Engineer to possess only Level 9 spirit tools, as most would still be Level 8 and Level 7 spirit tools.

Losing a Level 8 spirit tool over such a trivial matter made the Emperor feel a slight pang of heartache.

However, Kong Deming was not satisfied with this outcome.

"You are an Emperor now, why are you still so petty? Do as I say: two Level 8 spirit tools, any type, plus five million gold coins as medical expenses and emotional damages for my disciple."

Out of consideration for the Emperor's dignity, Kong Deming had been trying his best to restrain himself. In his view, the conditions he stated were simply not worth mentioning.

But Mu Qingci, standing to the side, could no longer suppress the corners of his mouth.

This was equivalent to him trading one-third of a Level 8 spirit tool for two Level 8 spirit tools and a massive sum of five million gold coins.

This time, he had truly made a huge profit, and Mu Qingci would not have to worry about money for a long time.

The Emperor wanted to say something else, but seeing Kong Deming's stern gaze, he finally shook his head helplessly.

"We shall follow Old Kong's words. Go to the national treasury and retrieve the spirit tools and gold coins."

With the Emperor's command, several people hurried off to the national treasury.

A few minutes later, three boxes were presented.

The Emperor first had someone open one of them for Mu Qingci; inside, five cards were neatly stacked.

The cards looked very ornate and thick, with a purple-gold color throughout, and each had the number one million on it.

"Here are gold coin cards totaling five million gold coins. Young brother, just keep them safe."

Then, he had someone open one of the other two boxes.

Inside was a remarkably ornate necklace.

The centerpiece of the necklace was the Sun, the inherited Spirit of the Sun Moon Empire.

"This is a Level 8 defensive spirit tool, Suns Protection. Much like Old Kong's Silver Moon Guardian, it also has three opportunities for use."

Mu Qingci pleasantly accepted the necklace and impatiently hung it around his neck.

Now there were two necklaces around his neck, one sun and one moon, reflecting each other's brilliance.

Finally, the Emperor had someone open the third box.

Lying inside was a long sword with a pale gold blade, and the hilt was engraved with the symbol of the sun.

"I heard that Young Brother's Spirit is a sword type. This Level 8 melee spirit tool, the sword of blazing sun, must be very suitable for you."

Mu Qingci picked up the long sword; it felt heavy in his hand and had a great texture. It was clearly a fine sword at a glance.

"Many thanks, Your Majesty!" Mu Qingci did not forget the state he was supposed to be in at this moment due to his joy.

He feigned a very weak yet excited appearance as he thanked the Emperor.

The Emperor then carefully glanced at Kong Deming, and seeing that the latter had no reaction, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Since the matter has been resolved, I will take my leave now."

After Kong Deming finished speaking, he grabbed Mu Qingci and vanished from the palace hall in an instant.

Only now did the three of them—Xu Linxue and the others—dare to raise their heads.

Xu Linxue's expression was terrible. Mu Qingci had caused her to lose her status as a Princess and be demoted to a commoner, and she was still plotting in her heart how to take revenge on him.

The Emperor saw through his sister's thoughts and felt extremely helpless.

"I truly regret that Father and I spoiled you so much back then. You now dare to provoke anyone, even going so far as to bring my Royal Inspection Team here. I truly don't know what to say to you anymore."

Xu Linxue's face was still filled with unwillingness: "Imperial Brother, Xue'er is not convinced. Are we just going to let that kid go like that? Old Kong has so many disciples; he wouldn't just care about one."

"Nonsense! You are a Princess of a nation, after all; how can you have no brains at all?"

The Emperor helplessly rubbed his forehead; he no longer knew what to say to his sister.