All Things Are Contracts

Chapter 119: Parting (1)

The Imperial Inheritance Hall was located directly south of the imperial palace, a massive nine-story building covering a vast area. Each floor housed extremely important resources, from purple crystals to cultivation techniques, from spirit herbs to pills – everything one could imagine. It was the treasury of the Thousand Charms Empire.

Zhanyue followed Baizhi to the Imperial Inheritance Hall but was stopped at the entrance. Not being a member of the royal family, he naturally couldn’t enter and could only wait silently outside. The powerful auras inside the hall were numerous; Zhanyue even determined there must be Spirit God Realm experts inside.

Inside the hall, Baizhi, as the sole imperial princess, enjoyed resources incomparable to others. The first floor was for receiving annual salaries. Baizhi took 10 million purple crystals and headed upstairs. For her, a fifth-grade Alchemist, this amount wasn’t much. But for other ordinary royal members, it would be a huge sum.

The second floor was the royal textile workshop. After leaving her measurements, some clothes and precious jewelry befitting her princess status would be sent to her mansion in a few days.

The third floor was the royal armory, housing many divine weapons. After careful selection, Baizhi finally chose a pair of exquisite daggers named ‘Butterfly’. One dagger curved slightly left, the other slightly right, forming a butterfly shape when combined, very suitable for her attack style.

The fourth floor was the pill storage. Here, one could receive many pills, but Baizhi gave up these pills and instead exchanged her quota for a large number of spirit herbs and medicinal herbs. She could refine pills herself, and the pills here, except for a few sixth-grade ones, were mostly fifth-grade and below.

The fifth floor was crucial, housing the royal cultivation techniques and battle skills, far superior to those in Rising Sun City’s collection. Here, there were battle skills up to the red grade, but they required a large number of royal contribution points to exchange. With Baizhi’s princess status, she could at most get orange-grade techniques and skills for free. But this was enough. Baizhi had neglected martial skills cultivation since childhood, and it was time to pick it up. Following the rules, she selected one cultivation technique and three battle skills. Just as she was about to go to the sixth floor, a tall figure blocked her way.

“Which family are you from, sister? You look unfamiliar,” the newcomer was a handsome young man, tall with fair skin and an extraordinary bearing. He wore yellow clothes, a jade pendant at his waist, and held a folding fan. He looked at Baizhi curiously, having fallen for her at first sight.

“Please move aside,” Baizhi rarely paid him any attention, walking past him to the sixth floor. The young man wanted to follow but was stopped by the sixth floor’s guard.

“Lord Mu, you can’t go up without a token,” the guard said. Floors one to five were for royal descendants to receive resources and benefits, while floors six to nine were mysterious and not allowed without special permission. Baizhi’s special status allowed her to access floors six, seven, and eight, but even she wasn’t allowed on the ninth floor.

“Who is she?” Mu Chenglong asked, his gaze burning.

“Naturally, it’s the princess,” the guard didn’t conceal it, having just received the notification recently.

“Is she the adopted daughter of Her Majesty? That unexpected princess?” Mu Chenglong was stunned, then showed a slight smile. He turned and went downstairs, not leaving but waiting below.

The sixth floor housed many pill formulas. Baizhi even saw many rare seventh-grade formulas, though no eighth-grade ones. She guessed they weren’t kept here. She chose some fifth and sixth-grade formulas, then went to the seventh floor.

The seventh floor was surprisingly a puppet room, filled with many mechanical puppets. Baizhi chose a small mechanical bird. Though small, it had many functions and considerable combat power. Anyone underestimating it would be in for a surprise.

The eighth floor was a spirit pet room, housing some fierce beast eggs. However, Baizhi and Zhanyue already had Little Snow and Little Mo, two beast spirits with divine beast bloodlines, which was enough. She wasn’t interested in these, so she converted the fierce beast egg quota into points to exchange for some precious herbs for beast cultivation. With these, the two little cats could grow rapidly. Baizhi threw all these things into her divine communication space. Zhanyue, waiting outside, was fully aware and sighed at the wealth of the Thousand Charms Empire. They had everything from cultivation techniques to puppets and beast pets.

Zhanyue, waiting outside the hall, saw Mu Chenglong and curiously asked a nearby female official, “Who is he?”

“In response to young master, he is the great-great-grandson of the previous emperor’s sister, inheriting the title of marquis. He’s known as ‘Ghost Fan Lord Mu’, currently at the Profound Realm, with outstanding talent among the royal descendants,” the female official explained.

Soon after, Baizhi walked out of the Imperial Inheritance Hall. Mu Chenglong immediately went up to her, fawning over her with concern.

Zhanyue clicked his tongue, “Where did this sycophant come from?” He knew that with Baizhi’s beauty and status, many would covet her. He didn’t expect someone to jump out so quickly. Even the Golden Pill Cultivator had been scared off, yet this so-called marquis dared to approach.

Baizhi, with a black face, impatiently shook off Mu Chenglong. Seeing Zhanyue, she finally smiled, “Let’s go.” She couldn’t be bothered with the marquis.

“Wait,” Zhanyue jumped down from the carriage and walked towards Mu Chenglong.

“May I ask who you are?” Mu Chenglong didn’t know this person’s relationship with the princess and showed vigilance and hostility.

“The future prince consort,” Zhanyue said bluntly.

Mu Chenglong’s pupils contracted slightly, then he showed a hint of mockery, “You? A mortal who’s not even in the Profound Realm.”

Zhanyue shook his head, “I wanted to keep a low profile, but if I don’t stake my claim, I fear too many people will have designs on her. Please, enlighten me.”

Mu Chenglong was a bit confused. This man in front of him was actually challenging him? Right here in front of the Imperial Inheritance Hall? Wasn’t he afraid of losing face in front of the princess?

“Very well, let Mu see what abilities you have to make such boasts, future prince consort,” Mu Chenglong felt it necessary to demonstrate his strength in front of the princess, hoping to change her impression of him.

Baizhi sat in the carriage, playing with the two little cats on top.

“Your Highness, aren’t you afraid?” the female official asked curiously. Lord Mu was already at the Profound Star Realm, and a very strong one at that.

“Afraid of what? He’s very powerful,” Baizhi had full confidence in Zhanyue.

On the ninth floor of the Imperial Inheritance Hall, a divine sense observed everything happening below. An old man watched with interest.

“A fight is good, a fight is good.”

Mu Chenglong’s contract object was the ghost fan in his hand. His technique was mysterious, the fan seeming to hover above him like a living thing. His entire aura changed.

Zhanyue took out the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword, feeling the battle intent transmitted from the sword. He was excited, having wanted to fight someone for a long time.

“Go!” Mu Chenglong threw his ghost fan. It spun frantically like a wheel, easily able to cut through metal and stone. He stood at a distance, only needing to remotely control the fan to easily defeat his enemy.

“Interesting,” Zhanyue threw out the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword, using his sword control technique to make it clash with the ghost fan. The two treasures fiercely engaged in mid-air, but after a while, the ghost fan couldn’t hold up and seemed about to fall apart.

“Not good!” Mu Chenglong hurriedly recalled his contract object. Zhanyue took three steps in two, instantly appearing in front of Mu Chenglong. The demon sword fell from the sky into Zhanyue’s hand, and he swiftly placed it at Mu Chenglong’s neck. For a moment, everyone was silent. The battle had ended so quickly.

“Is this all the famous Lord Mu has?” Zhanyue put away his sword.

Mu Chenglong’s face turned red with embarrassment. He still had many techniques unused, but when he was flustered trying to retrieve his fan, Zhanyue instantly closed in and put the sword to his neck. He wanted to say it didn’t count, but that seemed even more embarrassing.

“Mu admits defeat,” Mu Chenglong conceded unwillingly.

“Oh, don’t leave yet,” Zhanyue stopped Mu Chenglong as he was about to leave.

“What else do you want?” Mu Chenglong said with a black face. To be defeated by someone who hadn’t even entered the Profound Realm was a great humiliation.

“Tell the other royal descendants to stay away from the princess,” Zhanyue said, narrowing his eyes. Before leaving the Thousand Charms Empire, he wanted to create a peaceful environment for Baizhi.

Mu Chenglong wanted to speak but held back, finally leaving reluctantly.