The guard whispered, "Jiang Zhuo was one of the Third Prince's men. Now the Third Prince is furious about Jiang Zhuo's death and hopes we do not recruit Chen Nan as a palace guard."
Ye Chen gave a noncommittal hum.
They say one must look at the owner before hitting the dog.
Chen Nan had killed Jiang Zhuo and absorbed the Wulong Gang's influence into the Fierce Tiger Gang. His actions were bound to displease the Third Prince.
However, the Third Prince was still the Third Prince.
Even if he wanted to kill Chen Nan to avenge Jiang Zhuo, he would have to consider his own position.
Such matters could not be openly pursued.
Otherwise, it would be an admission of his dealings with Jiang Zhuo.
Let alone...
The murder of an imperial guard.
Ye Chen, already aware of the feud between the Third Prince and Chen Nan, showed a cold smile. "I am under imperial decree to select individuals of outstanding ability to serve as palace guards. Performance will determine the final recruitment or elimination."
The implication was clear.
Even if the Third Prince spoke, it would be useless. Performance was all that mattered.
His subordinate asked nervously, "Boss, will the Third Prince be displeased with us doing this?"
Ye Chen's lips curled into a cold smile. "And then?"
A mere prince.
Seemingly of noble status.
But in Dong Sang Country, princes were the least valuable.
Let alone an unfavored prince, even the Crown Prince would politely greet him and call him Commander Ye, as the Commander of the Imperial Guards.
------
A moment later.
The incense in the censer burned out.
The assessment at the scene had also come to an end.
Everyone had shot their arrows, though some rejoiced and others despaired. Many arrows missed the target for various reasons.
After the third stage of the assessment concluded, Ye Chen had his men tally the hit rate based on the arrow numbers. This took about half an hour.
Finally, a list was delivered to Ye Chen.
Ye Chen glanced at the results list in his hand and said, "I will now announce the final results of this assessment. Those whose names are called will become palace guards. As for those who did not qualify, do not be discouraged. You may wait for the next session and reapply."
"Chen Nan."
"Zhao Jin."
"Wu Fenglong."
"Gui Yuan."
"Wen Ningyang."
"Wu Di."
Chen Nan remained calm, as he knew he would stand out.
But the fatty was far from composed.
Not only could he eat to his heart's content at Lingxi Mountain, but it also meant he could eat imperial rations for free from now on until he was full.
He was truly free from the worry of food and clothing.
After reading out the names of the fifty qualified candidates, Ye Chen had his men distribute a black token to everyone, bearing the character 'Nei' (内), a typical token of the Imperial Guards.
With this token, they could enter and exit the forbidden areas of the imperial palace.
"According to the rules, you will have a three-day leave before becoming Imperial Guards. You may do as you wish. After three days, a three-month intensive training will commence."
Ye Chen left this instruction and turned to leave.
"Three months of intensive training?"
Chen Nan frowned, not expecting such a long training period.
Three months seemed short.
But it was ninety days.
One day in heaven was one year on earth.
In other words, by the time he was in training, ninety years would have passed on Earth.
This was an absolutely long span of time.
"Brother Chen, Brother Fatty, I am a man of my word. Tonight, I will host you both at Lingxi Mountain. You must give me face!" Wen Ningyang laughed heartily.
The fatty grinned, "Then it's a happy decision."
Chen Nan also agreed.
It wasn't that he was greedy and specifically wanted to eat good food.
The main reason was that he wanted to visit Lingxi Mountain.
After all, it was a place where cultivators gathered, and perhaps there would be a way to resolve the influence of the forbidden land on him. If so, he could directly resign his position as a guard.
After all, only by becoming a second-rank general could one obtain the jade ring, and it was expected to be a very long period.
He did not want to waste his prime years here.
After inquiring about Chen Nan and the fatty's residence, Wen Ningyang parted ways with them and boarded a luxurious carriage. Once inside, he grinned and said to his subordinate, "See, the opportunity has arrived!"
"I'll summon a few family retainers to accompany us to Lingxi Mountain."
"Lingxi Mountain is not a forbidden land."
"Once we get there, why can't I defeat Chen Nan?"
Subordinate A quickly gave a thumbs up, filled with admiration. "We must say, it still has to be Young Master Wen! You'll pretend to befriend Chen Nan first, lower his guard, and then find a suitable opportunity to lure him elsewhere."
"Although Chen Nan is a good fighter, what good is fighting?"
"Once he leaves the forbidden land, he's nothing."
Wen Ningyang showed a meaningful smile. "I've already told Chen Nan and that dead fatty to bring their wives and concubines along. Once we get there..."
He said no more, but stuck out his tongue and licked his lips lecherously. "I will cripple his limbs and take his women in front of him!"
After the three parted ways, Chen Nan returned to the inn where he was staying. After taking a bath, he changed into clean clothes. A sky-blue robe adorned him, exuding an elegant and noble aura.
Every move he made was like that of a scholar.
Xuan Qingniao wore a pink dress, her long hair cascading down her shoulders. Though she wore no makeup, her stunning features were like a lotus emerging from mud, pure and captivating.
Of course.
The most eye-catching was her proud chest.
This was inextricably linked to Chen Nan's efforts in developing it during this period.
After all, before the two met, Xuan Qingniao's development was not very complete.
But now.
If she made large physical movements, one could clearly see the bouncing elasticity.
As the sun began to set.
The fatty's shout echoed from outside the inn: "Brother Chen, hurry down!"
Chen Nan pushed open the window and saw two fiery red dragon horses pulling a luxurious carriage. The fatty Wu Di was smiling and waving with Wen Ningyang.
Dragon horses were not common in the Fourth Heaven. They were mounts that only truly wealthy individuals could afford to raise. They could travel thousands of miles a day without any bumps, regardless of mountains or rivers.
Chen Nan brought Xuan Qingniao downstairs.
The moment they descended, Wen Ningyang's gaze locked onto Xuan Qingniao. His heart skipped a beat, feeling as if spring had arrived!
He had known countless women, yet he had never encountered a woman as beautiful and exceptionally elegant as Xuan Qingniao.
This was a true woman, a vixen.
The women he had been with before were merely common trinkets compared to Xuan Qingniao.
"Young Master Wen, we are merely going for a meal." Chen Nan noticed two elderly men riding dragon horses behind the carriage and showed a meaningful smile. "Why have you brought two experts? Don't tell me you're looking for trouble?"