Nine Nether Dragon Emperor

With the exception of Jiang Chan, who remained seated at the very front, all the other prodigies rose and bowed with clasped hands toward the grand entrance.

After a brief glance at Jiang Chan, Ning Xuan also remained still, his gaze fixed on the entrance. Soon, two men appeared.

The man on the left was tall, and a chilling, murderous aura swept through the hall the moment he set foot inside. The man on the right followed a step behind him. Although handsome, he was completely eclipsed by the other man’s Majestic Pressure.

Ning Xuan frowned. There’s something off about that man on the left.

Just as he was about to focus and figure out the reason, Luo Ji’s voice transmission sounded just in time. "Ning Xuan, what are you doing?!"

Ning Xuan quickly snapped back to his senses and slightly lowered his head.

Across from him, Jiang Chan was eyeing the tall man with a thoughtful expression.

"Brother Luo, what’s his background?" Seeing the two men walk straight down the middle of the hall, completely ignoring everyone, Ning Xuan couldn’t help but ask Luo Ji via voice transmission.

"That’s Tu Yu, the son of the Emperor’s Special Envoy, Tu Jingcheng! The one behind him is Wang Teng, the eldest son of the Tian Shu Realm Lord."

Ning Xuan understood instantly. No wonder they’re so arrogant. Their backgrounds really are something else.

However, he wasn’t interested in Tu Yu. His gaze shifted to Wang Teng instead. Let’s see if this one shows the exceptional talent and bearing of a future great emperor.

Just then, a young woman’s voice sounded in his mind, "You don’t seem like a Servant."

This startled Ning Xuan slightly. There were only three women in the hall. The voice wasn’t You Ruo’s, and it certainly wasn’t Cheng Dabao’s. The speaker was obvious.

Ning Xuan couldn’t figure out why Jiang Chan would send a voice transmission to him. He looked over at her, puzzled, only to see her sitting perfectly upright and dignified.

In fact, Jiang Chan regretted speaking the moment the words left her. The two beautiful women standing behind her were now also staring at Ning Xuan in surprise. Although they didn’t know what their lady had said, they were certain she had used a voice transmission to speak to the young man named Ning Xuan. Knowing Jiang Chan’s disposition, the two were utterly astonished.

At that moment, Tu Yu suddenly stopped in front of Jiang Chan and cupped his fist. "Tu Yu pays his respects to Miss Jiang."

Jiang Chan completely ignored him.

Tu Yu wasn’t angered and continued, "Before Her Majesty the Empress departed, she gave me a special instruction. If I were to see Miss Jiang, I am to give her this."

As he spoke, a scroll appeared in his hand. One of the women behind Jiang Chan stepped forward to receive it.

Jiang Chan couldn’t help but ask, "Did my aunt say anything else?"

Tu Yu shook his head.

"Scram!" Jiang Chan spat.

Tu Yu’s mouth twitched, but he immediately replied with a grin, "Alrighty then!"

Then, a shocking scene unfolded. He actually lowered his head, curled into a ball, and began to roll away.

After a moment of astonishment, Jiang Chan’s beautiful eyes grew solemn.

One of the women behind her quickly spoke up. "Young Master Tu, please rise! Our lady was spoiled growing up, please don’t take her words to heart."

The bewildered Wang Teng, who was still standing there, finally sprang into action, rushing forward to pull Tu Yu to his feet.

"Ning Xuan, find an opportunity to tell Miss Jiang to leave as soon as possible," Luo Ji’s voice transmission sounded in Ning Xuan’s ear.

"Why?"

"With Miss Jiang’s status, the Tian Shu Realm Lord should have personally attended this gathering. Do you know why he’s absent?"

A thought struck Ning Xuan, and he asked, "Is it because of that Envoy, Tu Jingcheng?"

"Precisely. Tu Jingcheng’s position is second only to the Emperor himself; he’s the Emperor’s absolute favorite! He dotes on Tu Yu to an extreme degree. Even the Emperor indulges the boy by extension, allowing him free passage in and out of the imperial palace. What just happened... the consequences will be severe."

Ning Xuan understood. So Tu Yu is the type who takes revenge for the slightest offense. He’ll definitely make a move against Jiang Chan later.

"We’ll see," Ning Xuan gave a noncommittal reply. I don’t get Luo Ji’s motive. This is a rare chance to get into her good graces. Why would he pass it to me?

"Why is everyone standing around? Why can’t you all learn from Miss Jiang?" Tu Yu lamented loudly. "Ah, Wang Teng, what idiot arranged these seats? With Miss Jiang here, how could I possibly sit above her?! Not even I could do that. In fact, even my father couldn’t if he were here! Miss Jiang—"

Tu Yu was cut off by Jiang Chan. "Envoy Tu, you are an Envoy, representing the Empe—"

A flicker of delight flashed in Tu Yu’s eyes.

The two women behind Jiang Chan, however, paled dramatically.

Ning Xuan couldn’t help but sigh. This girl is still too naive. Tu Yu dug a pit, and she jumped right in. If she finishes that sentence, she’ll not only doom herself but also drag the Empress into it. She’s the Empress’s niece, Ye Qingqing’s cousin. And I have a decent impression of her... I can’t just watch her walk into her own ruin.

Without delay, Ning Xuan immediately cut in, "The earth and sky! Envoy Tu is a special envoy. Here, you are the earth, and you are our sky. Your stature is as immense as the enduring earth and the vast sky, so naturally, you should take the highest seat!"

The two women behind Jiang Chan let out a collective sigh of relief and pulled her back.

But Tu Yu’s smile froze on his face. Who the hell is this bastard, daring to ruin my fun?! His eyes flickered toward Ning Xuan, a flash of murderous intent glinting within them before vanishing.

Below, Wang Teng understood the signal and roared furiously, "Insolence! Who do you think you are? Is this a place for you to speak?! Ji Xiaoluo of Tianji, what are you waiting for?!"

Those who knew Ning Xuan showed no change in their expressions.

"Wang Teng, is this a place for *you* to speak?" Tu Yu surprisingly rebuked Wang Teng before turning to Ning Xuan with a smile. "What’s your name?"

"Ning Xuan."

"Ning Xuan, is it? For your master to bring you here, your Cultivation can’t be weak. How about this? The gathering hasn’t officially begun, so why don’t you and the other Servants liven things up for us all? What do you say?"

As he spoke, Tu Yu’s gaze swept over the attendants standing behind the prodigies. He knew exactly what kind of people they were. If they’re willing to be dogs, they must be spineless. Now that I’m giving them a chance to choose a new master, they’ll surely leap at the opportunity.

Sure enough, the eyes of many he glanced at lit up, their expressions eager.

But just then, Tu Yu’s expression brightened again. He had spotted something interesting.

He spoke directly, "You three, come out."

The three he called out were none other than Chu Tian, Ye Yi, and Jiang Boya.

Gritting his teeth, Jiang Boya cupped his fist and admitted defeat at once. "Reporting to the Young Master, the three of us are no match for Ning Xuan."

"Admitting defeat before you’ve even fought? Don’t tell me you’ve met before?" Tu Yu asked, his expression playful.

Jiang Boya added, "I wouldn’t dare deceive you, Young Master. We have indeed met before, and all of us have lost to him. That guy is utterly shameless. When he can’t win a fair fight, he resorts to dirty tricks! We’ve all fallen for them more than once!"