"You may be my third brother, but my affairs are not for you to meddle in!" Prince Yun Hai said coldly. "You want to take him as your advisor, are you perhaps coveting the throne?"
"My brother should be careful with his words!" Bai Long narrowed his eyes. "If our father were to learn of such a matter, you would be in deep trouble. Not only do you falsely accuse your own brother, but you dare to speak ill of royal authority!"
"Did I say something wrong?" Prince Yun Hai sneered. "I never realized that my third brother, who has always stayed out of the competition with Huang Quan, has such a great interest in royal power. You truly surprise me. It seems all of this was just an act!"
"Say whatever you wish. I simply believe brother Lu has extraordinary talent and wish to recruit him as an advisor. What does that have to do with royal power?" Bai Long narrowed his eyes, a hint of displeasure in his gaze.
"You can fool others, but you cannot fool me. I can see exactly what you are thinking!" Prince Yun Hai smiled. "However, no matter what you think, we can remain on good terms. But if you intend to break ties with me because of him, I will not back down easily!"
Prince Bai Long frowned, then laughed heartily. "As I said earlier, he is a friend from Bei Mei. I will not allow anyone to harm him! After all, if the Ninth Imperial Uncle were to find out, he might think I was not hospitable enough, and blame me!"
"So that's how it is. I was wondering why you were taking such good care of the Ninth Imperial Uncle's only daughter. It turns out you want to win over the Ninth Imperial Uncle!"
Prince Yun Hai immediately sneered. "It seems that among the many princes, you are the one who hides the deepest. Everyone thought you didn't care about royal power at all, but now it seems it was all a pretense!"
"You talk too much!" Bai Long said coldly. "Regardless, I am still your third brother. If you dare to lay a hand on me today, and it reaches our father's ears, you will likely be in deep trouble!"
"Are you threatening me?"
Prince Yun Hai said coldly, "I never yield to threats. Just as you said, if this matter reaches our father's ears, I will indeed be in deep trouble. But so what?"
"It seems you haven't taken my words to heart at all!" Bai Long's expression was indifferent. He then looked at Lu Fan. "Brother Lu, come with me. If anyone dares to touch you, I will not stand idly by!"
After speaking, Bai Long took Lu Fan's arm and prepared to leave. The reason for his actions was to gain Lu Fan's recognition. As long as Lu Fan was willing to become his advisor, he would surely have a place in the struggle for the throne, and might even surpass many other princes.
To have passed the fifth tier of the Heavenly Road at such a young age was no ordinary feat. Bai Long understood this clearly, which was why he was willing to confront Prince Yun Hai for Lu Fan.
"Prince Bai Long, thank you for your kindness, but I do not wish to become anyone's advisor."
Lu Fan shook his head, his expression serious. He saw Bai Long's protection of him, but at this juncture, he found himself in a difficult position.
Bai Long stopped in his tracks, his face instantly turning grim. He looked at Lu Fan, completely taken aback by Lu Fan's words, and felt a pang of displeasure.
"Brother Bai Long, please don't be angry!" Princess Bei Mei said repeatedly. "This is just his personality. Besides, it's his own business if he doesn't want to be an advisor. Brothers, please don't argue anymore!"
"I thought my third brother was quite capable! I didn't expect him to go to such lengths for him, and he doesn't even appreciate your gesture!"
Prince Yun Hai chuckled lightly. "Why don't we deal with him together? After all, we are princes. If he dares to put on airs in front of us, then he shouldn't see tomorrow's sun!"
Many people present sighed in disbelief and were shocked. Prince Yun Hai's words meant he had a plan. If that were the case, Lu Fan was likely in for a terrible fate.
Meanwhile, many people frowned. If Prince Yun Hai were truly to make a move, Lu Fan might not be able to withstand it. After all, he was a prince, and even if Lu Fan possessed strength, he might not dare to act recklessly.
"Brother Lu, I genuinely wish to befriend you. Why are you so dismissive of me?"
Bai Long looked at Lu Fan with a serious expression, even a hint of accusation. At least in his eyes, Lu Fan had shown no gratitude for his earlier intervention, which left him feeling displeased.
More importantly, Lu Fan's words had also embarrassed him, making him feel like he was offering a warm welcome to a cold shoulder, which further irked him.
"It's not that I'm dismissive of Prince Bai Long, but I simply don't want to be controlled by anyone!"
Lu Fan gave a wry smile. "I hope Prince Bai Long can understand. Moreover, I am not insignificant. Even if you are princes, you cannot kill me as you please."
"What a bold statement!" Prince Yun Hai immediately sneered. "This is the imperial capital. As a prince, it would be as easy as blowing away dust for me to kill you!"
"Then has Prince Yun Hai considered what the royal family would think, and what the Heavenly Court would think, if I were to meet an untimely end?"
Lu Fan smiled. "I have just passed the fifth tier of the Heavenly Road. If I were to die by your hand, it would likely be detrimental to Prince Yun Hai in the future!"
As soon as his words fell, Prince Yun Hai's face turned ashen, filled with anger.
Just as he was about to make a move, Fei Long quickly intervened and said to Prince Yun Hai, "What he says has merit. Your Highness should consider carefully. Perhaps many people within the royal family are already observing. After all, being able to ascend the fifth tier is no ordinary feat."
Yun Hai's face was ashen, and he frowned deeply. Lu Fan's words had filled him with displeasure, but at this point, he was also extremely annoyed.
As a dignified prince, to be treated in such a manner was unacceptable.
"Impressive, truly impressive!"
At this moment, a refined voice sounded. From not far away, a figure strode forward, appearing quite graceful and somewhat handsome.
"Second Prince!"
Many people looked on, inwardly shocked. They hadn't expected Lu Fan's entry into the Heavenly Road to attract the attention of so many princes, who had specifically come to the Heavenly Road, catching them off guard.
"Second Brother, I didn't expect you to come join the fun as well!"
Bai Long looked towards Bei Cheng and smiled. It was common knowledge that Bei Cheng was the most dissolute among the princes, yet he had also come to vie for this person.
"Of course, I have to join the fun. Don't you know? I love joining the fun the most," Bei Cheng chuckled lightly, then looked at Lu Fan. "Young man, I think very highly of you. To make my two brothers clash, you indeed have some ability. You've impressed me!"