"No need for such formalities."
Ye Longlin shook his head slightly, unconcerned with these worldly courtesies.
"This is the old monk I told you about. Heh heh, the old monk's head sounds so good when tapped."
Ye Longlin rolled his eyes and rubbed her head helplessly, "Show some respect."
Mu Hanqi pouted, expressing her displeasure.
"The Prince has mobilized one hundred thousand troops into Jinling. Is he preparing for war with the Murong royal family? In this era, starting a war is not a good choice."
Jikong said slowly, then sat down and began to prepare tea.
Hearing this, Mu Hanqi was immediately shocked, covering her mouth with disbelief. "What are you doing? Are you trying to rebel!"
Anyone would be shocked upon hearing this news.
After all, the current troops all belonged to the state, not privately. Even if troops were mobilized, they could not exceed five thousand. This was a tacit understanding among everyone.
But now, Ye Longlin had actively broken this rule. This was a sign of drastic change!
Ye Longlin smiled slightly, "Do you think the Murong family is my opponent? Or do you think there is someone in Jinling who can suppress me?"
Confidence radiated from him!
The old monk remained silent, chanted Amitabha, and lowered his head to refill the tea.
Mu Hanqi looked at Ye Longlin very seriously. For the first time, Ye Longlin saw such a serious expression on her face.
"Ye Longlin, tell me honestly, what exactly are you trying to do? Although I don't know the rules of your system, I know that those in higher positions would never want to see chaos below."
She was also considering Ye Longlin's well-being. No one wanted to see chaos. It would be troublesome to settle accounts later.
She didn't want Ye Longlin to be in trouble, and she also knew that in his position, many things required careful consideration, taking the overall situation into account, and acting from a broader perspective.
The old monk also advised, "Your Highness, think thrice before you act. Amitabha."
Ye Longlin looked up, waiting for the wind to rise and the clouds to fall.
Then, he reached out and squeezed Mu Hanqi's small hand, smiling, "I am the one in the higher position, so I don't need to consider."
Moreover, his resignation had already been submitted to the Hall of Glory. Even if they wanted to deal with him, they would have to consider whether anyone could suppress the Dragon Pavilion after his departure.
"Wood... "
Mu Hanqi wanted to say something more, but Ye Longlin interrupted her directly.
"Alright, there's no need to discuss this further. I have it under control, don't worry."
Seeing him say this, Mu Hanqi was still a little worried, but she didn't say anything more. She chose to trust Ye Longlin unconditionally!
"Amitabha."
Monk Jikong clasped his hands together and closed his eyes to meditate.
Ye Longlin glanced at the time and said threateningly, "Time is almost up, I will leave first. Before the situation is settled, I entrust her to your care. If even a single strand of her hair is harmed, I will tear down this dilapidated temple of yours."
Monk Jikong: "..."
Mu Hanqi: "..."
After Ye Longlin left, Monk Jikong opened his eyes and sighed softly, "The great roc rises with the wind, soaring nine thousand miles into the sky. It seems Jinling will not be peaceful from now on."
Mu Hanqi bit her lip, looked back at Monk Jikong, and a worried expression appeared on her face.
"Will he be alright?"
Monk Jikong smiled, "Amitabha, with his cultivation, it is difficult for anything to happen."
And indeed, it was true. Nothing could happen to him. On the land of Great Xia, his status and cultivation had reached their peak.
After leaving, Ye Longlin stood on the forest path, looking back at the small Buddhist hall, narrowing his eyes.
"This old monk might be the foremost expert in Jinling."
Then, he let out a cold laugh and went down the mountain, leaving Wanfo Temple.
...
That afternoon, Mu Hanqi returned to the Murong royal family with Jikong. Old Master Murong also arranged for the third son of the Song family to come to the royal family.
Today was the day the Old Master had arranged for the Murong royal family's princess to meet with the other party publicly.
For the Murong family, the closed loop of the three families was particularly important, so arranging a marriage quickly was the most important thing.
Among the three sons of the Song family, Song Yuanfeng was the youngest.
The eldest son, Song Jie, ranked third on the Heavenly Pride List. The second son, Song Guan, ranked fifth. Song Yuanfeng ranked seventh.
The Song family's status in Jinling was second only to the Murong family. In terms of influence in the martial arts, the Murong family truly could not compare to the Song family.
Speaking of the Song family, it was a bit amusing.
The Song family had been a scholarly family for over a hundred years. As the oldest Jinling family, their plaque had a calligraphy from an emperor of the previous dynasty – "Literary Might Secures the Nation."
This was also a face-saving aspect for the Song family!
Besides them, there was another family, the Kong family.
In recent years, the Kong family's influence in the military and martial arts was also something that the other two families could not match.
The Kong family's Zhen Guan Divine Needle was currently one of the Ten Venerables, one of the ten commanding generals.
In an era where Four-Star experts were absent and Five-Star experts were mere legends, Three-Star was already the highest officially held rank.
These three families in Jinling had the strongest influence, ranking at the forefront of the first-tier families.
"Patriarch, the Ye family has come to propose marriage!"
In the main hall at this moment, the Old Master sat at the head. To his left were the three sons of the Song family, and to his right was Mu Hanqi, who had just returned to the family.
Murong Renjing slightly raised his eyes, holding a Gaiwan tea cup. He glanced at the three sons of the Song family and said calmly, "Please invite them in."
This branch of the Ye family in Jinling was from the lineage of the Sixth Elder of the Ye family in the capital. They held immense power and could directly connect to the capital. In terms of scale, after the Murong royal family, the Ye family was next.
"Ye Wu? He's actually back? He's not with the army, why is he back at this time? Could he be trying to disrupt the plans of our three families?"
Song Jie snorted disdainfully.
Among the grandchildren's generation, the Murong family members of Jinling were in the capital, so led by the three sons of the Song family, followed by two from the Kong family, and then Ye Wu from the Ye family.
"Heh heh, Song Jie, do you think everyone is like you, simple-minded and strong-limbed? The Martial Arts Association, in the end, is just a civilian organization. How can it compare to my official status as a general?
To put it bluntly, if I stand here, would you dare to touch me even a little? You wouldn't dare! This is the difference that comes with status, understand?"
Ye Wu strode into the main hall, scoffed, and sat down with his legs crossed.
Ye Wu was a one-star general in Jinling's military circles!
He had achieved such a rank at a young age, and his future was limitless. Moreover, with the influence of the Ye family in the capital, with a little effort, he could attain a two-star rank before the age of forty.
"So what? Your strength is inferior to mine, and you can only rely on this status. Once you lose this status, what are you? You'd better pray that nothing compromising appears, or I'll be the first to report you!"