In the Royal Capital, everyone knew about Luo Lie's obsession with Lan Cailing.
It was precisely because of this that Chong Zhanyuan went to great lengths to provoke Luo Lie, making him turn against Liu Hongyan. He even approached the Lan Clan, explicitly stating that Luo Lie would be stripped of his right to inherit the throne of King Nanli. He hinted that the Chong family was destined to replace the Liu family as the rulers of the Northern Waters Kingdom, which finally convinced Lan Cailing.
"Brother Luo, there's something I really must apologize to you for," Chong Zhanyuan said with a sincere expression.
Luo Lie crossed his arms, looking at him with a half-smile, "How have you wronged me?"
"Everyone in the Royal Capital knows about your infatuation with Cailing. She's your life, but there's nothing I can do. Cailing is utterly devoted to me, even threatening to take her own life to be with me. I had no choice but to accept her. You won't blame me, will you?" Chong Zhanyuan spoke with apparent remorse, yet his face was full of smugness.
If it were the real Young Prince Luo Lie, he might have gone mad by now.
Unfortunately, the current Luo Lie couldn't care less about Lan Cailing. Compared to Liu Hongyan and Xue Bingning, she seemed too ordinary. More importantly, she had a malicious heart.
Despite Luo Lie's past devotion to her, she now allowed herself to be used by Chong Zhanyuan. Her heart was even colder than his.
Seeing Luo Lie's lack of reaction, Chong Zhanyuan grew anxious. He slapped Lan Cailing's backside hard, "Cailing, tell Brother Luo your thoughts."
Lan Cailing, with a shy expression, softly said, "Young Prince, thank you for everything you've done for me in the past. I truly appreciate it, but I've always seen you as a brother."
"Haha, there's nothing I can do. Cailing loves me, and she's madly in love," Chong Zhanyuan said proudly.
"Cailing admires heroes the most, and Zhanyuan is the hero in my heart. Even being his ninth concubine would be my honor," Lan Cailing's words made Chong Zhanyuan even more excited.
Luo Lie's expression finally darkened.
He felt it was not worth it for the former Luo Lie.
This woman was truly venomous. If she were forced, how could she say such cruel words, preferring to be someone else's ninth concubine as an honor, while the former Luo Lie had pursued her for so long without success? It was a vicious mockery and humiliation.
Luo Lie took a deep breath and finally looked at Lan Cailing for the first and last time, saying only ten words to her.
"Without experiencing scum, how can you get married?"
Lan Cailing was both ashamed and angry, wanting to retort, but seeing that Luo Lie wasn't even looking at her, as if just a glance at her was disgusting, or perhaps he felt she wasn't even worthy of his gaze.
That indifference was the greatest insult to Lan Cailing.
Luo Lie smiled at Chong Zhanyuan, "Brother Chong, you two are quite a match, really. Look, your ugliness, oh, I mean your abstract beauty, and her subtle beauty of being cheap as dirt, aren't they a perfect match?"
Chong Zhanyuan was furious.
Luo Lie didn't give him a chance to speak, quickly saying, "I know you're helpless about your abstract beauty. After all, it's not entirely your fault. If there's blame, it's on your father. Who told your father to look so wild? Naturally, the seeds he sowed were of poor quality, so your father deserves a beating, a real beating. I'm going to beat your father now."
"You dare to hit my father, the King?" Chong Zhanyuan mocked.
Then... then, Luo Lie raised his hand and slapped himself, saying, "Your father deserves a beating!" After that, he walked away.
Leaving Chong Zhanyuan and Lan Cailing dumbfounded in the hall.
Even as shrewd as Chong Zhanyuan was, it took him a while to react to Luo Lie's 21st-century tactic, and he was so angry that he jumped up and down, roaring, "Luo Lie, don't be arrogant. In half a month, when you lose the right to inherit the throne of King Nanli, let's see how arrogant you can be in front of me!"
From outside the door, Luo Lie's voice came from afar.
"Your father deserves a beating."
"Luo Lie, I swear, I'll make you wish you were dead."
"Your father deserves a beating."
"Luo Lie, you're a coward. I took your woman, and you don't even dare to fart."
"Your father deserves a beating."
Finally, Chong Zhanyuan, driven mad with anger, ran out of the Southern Li Royal Palace.
Watching them leave, Luo Lie was filled with disappointment.
"You're so bad," Xue Bingning laughed. She had arrived during Luo Lie's meeting with Chong Zhanyuan and Lan Cailing.
Luo Lie shrugged, "I thought provoking Chong Zhanyuan like that, with his domineering and arrogant nature, he would make a move. I even had Su Qiusheng and the others ready to take the opportunity to beat them up. Who knew he looked furious but could still hold back? This Chong Zhanyuan is much more shrewd than he appears."
Xue Bingning blinked, finding Luo Lie's analysis curious, "Chong Zhanyuan is indeed shrewd, and he came prepared this time. But who would have thought you didn't care about the Overlord's Trial and didn't take Lan Cailing to heart? That was his miscalculation."
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"Oh, by the way, what is the Overlord's Trial?" Luo Lie asked.
Xue Bingning then explained to him.
***
The Overlord's Trial was left by a former overlord of the Northern Waters Kingdom.
The overlord of that time had great achievements in martial arts, and it was said that his strength alone made the Northern Waters Kingdom one of the top ten strongest kingdoms among the Eight Hundred Minor Kingdoms.
However, the overlord never found a suitable successor, and before his death, he set up the Overlord's Trial.
The Overlord's Trial consists of four stages. If one can pass all four stages before the age of eighteen, they can obtain the mystery left by the overlord in the fourth stage.
For over two hundred years, no one has ever passed the Overlord's Trial. At most, they have passed the first three stages, and the fourth stage remains a mystery, with no one knowing what is inside.
Currently, Chong Zhanyuan is widely regarded as the most likely to succeed.
Chong Zhanyuan is considered the number one youth in the Northern Waters Kingdom, and he has announced that he will attempt the Overlord's Trial when he turns eighteen.
"Compared to the fourth stage, the first three stages are relatively simple. Generally, reaching Body Refining Level Six is enough to pass," Xue Bingning said. "However, you're an exception. At Body Refining Level Three, it shouldn't be a problem."
"You have such confidence in me," Luo Lie laughed.
Xue Bingning smiled slightly, "It's not confidence in you, but in the Celestial Dragon-Elephant Scripture."
Luo Lie was momentarily stunned by Xue Bingning's smile. Known for her cold beauty, it was rare to see her smile, and such a charming smile was something he had never seen before.
"Sister Bingning, you should smile more often," Luo Lie said earnestly.
"I'm not Hongyan. She's a queen, and no one dares to make a move on her. If I smiled every day, I'd be pestered to death by some boring men." Xue Bingning replied.
Luo Lie nodded vigorously, "Right, right, we can't let those lousy men have it easy. Just smile for me."
Xue Bingning rolled her eyes at him.
As they joked, they arrived at the main courtyard where Luo Lie stayed, sending the servants away, leaving only the two of them.
"I've been thinking about the Overlord's Trial," Luo Lie said, rubbing his nose. "Actually, I'm more interested in the fourth stage."
Xue Bingning smiled, "We guessed as much. That suits the overlord's character, doesn't it? Otherwise, how could it match the Tyrant Fist so well? I came to help you train."
As she spoke, she took out a bead from her Qiankun bag, "This is the Soaring Dragon Pearl!"
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan