A certain prince is showing off!
Qing Feng wanted to laugh but dared not. Were the Prince's jokes something to be trifled with?
He hadn't forgotten that Qing Lei's last foray into gossip had resulted in him spending three months in Wolf Valley.
Wolf Valley! Was that a place for humans to stay?
Meanwhile, Zi Linling arrived at the lake at lightning speed and saw the Prince looking smug.
"Yo! In a good mood, I see!"
As she spoke, she channeled spiritual energy to her feet, lightly tapped on a lotus leaf, and instantly appeared on the island in the center of the lake.
"Greetings, Princess Consort!"
Qing Feng quickly bowed upon seeing her.
Zi Linling waved a hand dismissively and sat down at the tea table.
"Come, tell me, what's making you so happy that your tail is practically in the sky?"
Qing Feng fell silent, wisely retreating from the island.
Ye Lingyuan leisurely poured her a cup of tea and asked, "Is my imperial brother alright?"
The unspoken meaning was, "Didn't you anger him to death?"
Zi Linling picked up the teacup, brought it to her nose, and sniffed. "Good tea!"
She took a sip before continuing, "Your news is quite timely. Your imperial brother is fine, but... he's sick!"
Sick?
The word... was indeed fitting for Ye Moyuan.
Ye Lingyuan smiled faintly and said, "In the entire Tianqi Kingdom, only you would dare speak of him like this."
Zi Linling raised her eyes. "Oh? You wouldn't dare?"
"I would dare!" Ye Lingyuan replied promptly.
Zi Linling laughed. "You're certainly direct! But he truly is sick!"
Obsessive and suspicious, what else could it be but illness?
Ye Lingyuan refilled her cup and asked, "Can it be cured?"
Zi Linling replied arrogantly, "Yes! But it requires strong medicine!"
"What is strong medicine?"
"The Hundred Flowers Palace as the catalyst, and the mercenary groups as the medicine!"
"When do we act?"
"In three days!"
"This King will cover your flank!"
"That would be excellent!"
"What else is needed?"
"I need to borrow Mu Qingyan for a moment!"
"Agreed!"
"He doesn't need to fight, just have him guard the key passages to prevent any stragglers!"
"Agreed!"
"Then it's settled! I want to let a certain someone know the consequences of provoking me!"
"..."
In a few brief exchanges, they sealed the fate of the Hundred Flowers Palace and the mercenary groups.
The outcome was predictable.
From the moment they were targeted by the two most powerful individuals, the end of these two forces was sealed.
Three days later, Zi Linling attacked the Hundred Flowers Palace, killing all cultivators at or above the Spirit Gathering realm, including the Supreme Palace Master of the Hundred Flowers Palace.
As for those below the Qi Induction realm, she spared them all, proclaiming that anyone seeking revenge could find her anytime, but they should be prepared to die!
Just one hour after the fall of the Hundred Flowers Palace, a major event occurred in Xianhe Town.
The largest mercenary group in town, the Xianhe Mercenary Group, had its stronghold destroyed by a peerless beauty.
The Xianhe Mercenary Group, including its leader Nian Wushi and vice-leader Nian Wuding, was nearly wiped out.
The second-ranked Iron Blood Mercenary Group changed hands, with its leader Tie Yinghu demoted to vice-leader. The position of leader fell to the woman who had annihilated the Xianhe Mercenary Group. Su Dan Novel Network.
The third-ranked Zhongcheng Mercenary Group absorbed the remnants of the Xianhe Mercenary Group and shared its territory with the Iron Blood Mercenary Group.
In response, the woman said nothing, but turned her attention to three medium-sized mercenary groups.
Soon, the Kuanglong Mercenary Group and the Zhanhu Mercenary Group met the same fate as the Xianhe Mercenary Group.
The Liuyue Mercenary Group had wisely reduced its personnel early on, so it was not affected.
However, there were rumors that the Liuyue Mercenary Group had surrendered to the woman, but had not been integrated into the Iron Blood Mercenary Group.
The four small mercenary groups were all trembling and began searching for patrons.
The Yeguang Mercenary Group and the Fenghuo Mercenary Group surrendered to the Iron Blood Mercenary Group and were merged into it.
The Tianyi Mercenary Group sought refuge with the Zhongcheng Mercenary Group, while the Feiying Mercenary Group was absorbed by the Liuyue Mercenary Group.
Thus, the chaotic situation in Xianhe Town concluded, evolving into a tripartite struggle.
The person responsible for this situation, Zi Linling, was now sitting in the courtyard of the Iron Blood Mercenary Group.
Behind her stood the former leader of the Iron Blood Mercenary Group, Tie Yinghu, the former vice-leader Xue Ruyi, and a woman in green.
This woman in green was none other than the leader of the Liuyue Mercenary Group, who rarely appeared in public—Liuyue.
From her standing position, it was evident that the Liuyue Mercenary Group had indeed surrendered to Zi Linling.
Facing Zi Linling sat two individuals: Sun Shangde, the leader of the Zhongcheng Mercenary Group, and Qin Mingyue, an official from the Mercenary Guild.
Behind Sun Shangde stood Qin Mingfei and Chu Yunniang.
After three rounds of tea, Qin Mingyue spoke first, "Group Leader Zi, shall we call it a day?"
Zi Linling smiled and retorted, "What do you think?"
Qin Mingyue smiled. "I understand that with Group Leader Zi's capabilities, unifying Xianhe Town would be effortless. However, doing so would eliminate competition, leading to the gradual decline and eventual demise of the mercenary groups, which is something we at the three branches of the Mercenary Guild do not wish to see."
"If Group Leader Zi is willing, we are prepared to cede priority rights, allowing Group Leader Zi to select territories first. Furthermore, all future affairs of the Iron Blood Mercenary Group will be prioritized. What do you say?"
This offer was undeniably enticing.
After all, the prosperity of Xianhe Town was largely due to the mercenary groups. Therefore, the larger the territory and the better its location, the greater the profits.
It could be said that the constant infighting among mercenary groups was solely for the acquisition of territory.
Now, by granting Zi Linling the priority selection rights, Qin Mingyue was essentially handing over the best territories in Xianhe Town.
Coupled with the priority processing of Mercenary Guild affairs, Zi Linling was clearly gaining a significant advantage.
Zi Linling did not immediately agree but asked curiously, "I'd like to know why Chief Qin insists on protecting the Zhongcheng Mercenary Group?"
Qin Mingyue replied with a wry smile, "To be frank with Group Leader Zi, the vice-leader of the Zhongcheng Mercenary Group, Qin Mingfei, is my youngest brother and the most outstanding genius disciple of our Qin family."
As she spoke, she glanced at Qin Mingfei, who stood behind Sun Shangde, and continued, "Group Leader Zi, this child Mingfei is kind-hearted and deeply values relationships. He originally came here for training but formed a profound friendship with Leader Sun and Deputy Leader Chu."
"After the three swore brotherhood, they established the Zhongcheng Mercenary Group, meaning 'united as one.' Since its inception, the Zhongcheng Mercenary Group has only undertaken missions and has no desire to participate in conflicts between other mercenary groups."
"Even so, they were still targeted by the former Xianhe Mercenary Group because the deputy leader of Xianhe Mercenary Group, Nian Wuding, took a liking to Deputy Leader Chu, but was rejected."
"As for taking in the remnants of the Xianhe Mercenary Group, it wasn't an act of defiance against Group Leader Zi. While Nian Wushi and Nian Wuding deserved their deaths, the mercenaries below them were coerced. They all have families to support, and aside from being mercenaries and taking on missions, they possess no other skills."
"Therefore, after discussing with Leader Sun and Deputy Leader Chu, Mingfei kindly took them in."