Chapter 178: The Most Straightforward Way to Resolve Things
To be honest, she didn’t think that Jiang Chen was some shady character that was trying to take advantage of her. Dan Fei had secretly been observing this young man. Even when the Nine Magnificence Dew Wine that he offered had been chosen as the best gift, no changes could be seen that had made their way across the young man’s expression. This completely diffident expression was absolutely not something that a young man could put on.
Jiang Chen had even given up the coveted opportunity to ask questions of the honored tutor when his gift was chosen as the best, pa.s.sing them onto his two companions.
Dan Fei also knew that some young men liked to pretend that they were deep or carefree in order to attract her attention.
Dan Fei had also originally suspected that Jiang Chen was pretending.
But after repeated conscious and unconscious observations, she discovered that she’d been thinking too much. Jiang Chen wasn’t pretending, he truly didn’t care about her.
When Lin Qianli and Tian Shao had asked their questions, Jiang Chen’s eyes had even been closed. That completely indifferent expression was only missing these words tattooed on his face -- what the h.e.l.l does any of this have anything to do with me?
Even when she’d led the Phoenix-Dragon out later, everyone’s attentions had been fixed on it and they had all wanted to give it a go. Although Jiang Chen had also paid some attention, he immediately had a flat and insipid look on his face afterwards, as if the matter of the Phoenix-Dragon was something he wasn’t interested in at all.
If it hadn’t been for Han Xianke’s final diagnosis simply being too ludicrous and thus caused JIang Chen to involuntarily break out in laughter, Jiang Chen likely wouldn’t even have opened his mouth at all.
After Dan Fei’s a.n.a.lysis, if Jiang Chen was still pretending, then this young man’s acting skills were simply too good.
In either case, Dan Fei felt that Jiang Chen wasn’t putting on a front, and likely did have some understanding of this Phoenix-Dragon.
At least, he’d known that the Phoenix-Dragon was male without having even walked forward. He could also make an accurate judgement of roughly thirty years time or so. The outside world would have no way of accessing this information.
Dan Fei didn’t think that a young man would have the good luck to guess correctly with one random word.
Jiang Chen also clearly lacked interest in Ye Rong and Ye Dai’s t.i.t for tat verbal battle. He stretched lazily and said to Dan Fei, “Beautiful woman, I merely spoke carelessly, you can listen to as much of it as you will. If anyone else thinks that my words are ridiculous, I welcome everyone to slap me in the face with more accurate evidence. Otherwise, people stop your whining and crying if you have no evidence. Your voices irritate my ears.”
Dan Fei was also slightly disappointed in Ye Dai’s performance today.
Her brow furrowed, she spoke faintly, “If the two of you want to fight, then walk out of here and fight on the main street. Let the citizens of the capital see just how their princes act.”
Ye Rong smiled ruefully and bowed, “Sister Dan Fei, younger brother here has always striven to hold myself in check. Unfortunately, while I seek to restrain myself, they continue to threaten me.”
Ye Dai roared, “Ye Rong, don’t you freaking act like you’re innocent!”
Dan Fei’s face darkened, “Are the two of you quite done yet?”
Although they were both princes, they still didn’t have the right to act atrociously in front of Dan Fei. The two of them shut their mouths, but their gazes at each other were full of animosity.
Dan Fei’s jade face was irritated as she looked at the two with displeasure. She turned around and walked towards the old tutor. Since matters had developed to this point, she could only ask the lordmaster for his opinion.
The old tutor hadn’t said anything because he’d been using his consciousness to observe everything.
As Dan Fei walked over, the old tutor suddenly stood up and spoke to Jiang Chen, “Little younger brother, you’re saying that the Phoenix-Dragon is in heat? Then, is this something to be concerned about?”
Jiang Chen wasn’t the sort to put on airs, since the old tutor had questioned him specifically, he naturally wouldn’t lord around like he was an expert. After all, his ident.i.ty in this life truly was that of a junior to the old tutor.
“Lordmaster, it’s both a cause and not a cause for concern. The Phoenix-Dragon isn’t quite like humans. The yang qi within its body is becoming stronger and stronger as a direct result of the yang qi within its body being inadequately dealt with. If this continues on, eventually, it will result in the yang qi separating from the body and will cause damage to the meridians. In serious cases, its body will explode. Its current performance of not wanting food or drink is but the initial symptoms. You’ll have a difficult case on your hands when things become this serious!”
“These are only the initial symptoms?” The old tutor had seen many odd things in his life, but what Jiang Chen was saying right now was rather new and interesting.
Jiang Chen nodded, “You’ll know how scary it is when it really starts acting up in a few months. But with the lordmaster’s strength, you should be able to keep it under control.”
The lordmaster smiled wryly. This was his precious steed! Keep it under control? This wasn’t what the old tutor had in mind. He only wanted to cure it so that it wouldn’t continue to suffer.
“Little younger brother’s words are quite refres.h.i.+ng to this old man’s ears. I wonder who the little younger brother’s master is? How do you know about the Phoenix-Dragon?”
Everyone inhaled sharply at these words.
What status did the honored tutor have? And yet here he was, talking with such a courteous and considerate tone, taking such a benevolent att.i.tude when inquiring with Jiang Chen, and even calling Jiang Chen his younger brother!
This… this completely upended everyone’s knowledge!
In that moment, even first prince Ye Dai felt like his mind was befuddled and completely confused. He was also almost crazed with envy and his belly was filled with frustrated anger. He wanted to erupt immediately, but had no place to vent his ill feelings.
How could he vent his feelings? Lose his temper at Dan Fei? Or throw his weight around with the honored tutor?
He didn’t have the right or guts to. Taking a step backwards, even if he had the courage to, the other wouldn’t care about him at all.
So what if he was the first prince? Tutor Ye had weathered through the reigns of several kings. Why would he even care about the feelings of a prince who wasn’t even the Crown Prince?
Jiang Chen chuckled, “Lordmaster, the first prince and them are somewhat right. I am a village buffoon from the Eastern Kingdom. I have no master, only the good fortune to meet an extraordinary person and spend half a year with him when I was young. We were great friends despite our difference in age, and coexisted like master and disciple. I listened to his chatter often and heard of a few things. The matter of the Phoenix-Dragon was also from this senior’s mouth.”
Jiang Chen naturally had a story ready. He’d said this to old man Fei, and naturally brought it out again when talking to Tutor Ye.
There were plenty of unexplainable things about him anyways. All of this could be s.h.i.+fted to that imaginary, mysterious person.
The heavens were thus vast. No one had ever met this mysterious person, and thus no one could prove that he didn’t exist.
The old tutor was an open-minded person. He thought back and forth and didn’t feel that there was anything amiss with Jiang Chen’s words.
After all, no one would believe it if the son of a duke from the Eastern Kingdom had any sort of amazing master or used their master to intimidate others.
Besides, it was impossible for such a strong master, one with a thorough knowledge of the secrets of the Phoenix-Dragon, to exist within the sixteen kingdoms.
Ye Chonglou’s strength was great and he’d adventured through many places when he was young. He was quite familiar with the overall strength of the neighboring sixteen kingdoms.
Even a premier sect like the Precious Tree Sect, which was within the sixteen kingdom alliance, would have no way of having knowledge of an ancient bloodline like the Phoenix-Dragon.
In actuality, the old tutor believed Jiang Chen the instant that he’d mentioned the ancient bloodline.
An inexplicable sense of agitation had appeared in the old tutor’s heart at that moment, but, after all, he was still an experienced and shrewd person.
He naturally wouldn’t jump out impatiently and seek knowledge just because of one word from a young man.
When he heard Jiang Chen speak thus, the old tutor heaved a sigh and actually had a few traces of envy and yearning in his voice, “Little younger brother is indeed lucky. The extraordinary senior that you had a relations.h.i.+p with was surely one that was at an incredible level of existence. Oh right, did he really say that the Phoenix-Dragon is an ancient bloodline, the result of crossbreeding between phoenixes and dragons?”
“Yes.”
“And the highest level of the Phoenix-Dragon goes up to twelve wings?”
“Theoretically speaking, yes, but his experiences may not have stretched to the limits of the Phoenix-Dragon. Perhaps an even higher level exists that he’d never come in contact with? The world is so vast, and no one is able to speak with certainty, isn’t that so?”
Ye Chonglou quite agreed and revealed an expression filled with extreme yearning. He sighed, “The bloodline of a twelve winged Phoenix-Dragon would surely be so pure, not to mention its level of existence. I have had the great fortune to meet even a five winged Phoenix-Dragon in this life.”
Jiang Chen didn’t respond. The old tutor knew his limitations. Indeed, even meeting a five winged Phoenix-Dragon of the ancient bloodline was a matter of great fortune.
Twelve wings? Don’t even dream of it. That was a steed in which legendary figures from all planes of existence could only hope to encounter.
Twelve wings meant that this was the rare creature’s strongest form, a king at the very top. It couldn’t be tamed through strength or arts at all.
Ye Chonglou quickly switched from that sort of admiring mood and smiled, “I lost my composure just now. Little younger brother, how do you think we should treat the creature being in heat?”
“The best way is naturally find a mate for it.” Jiang Chen smiled. “Except, I think that the Phoenix-Dragon bloodline is something that one can only hope to meet by chance, and can’t be obtained through search. By the time you find a mate for it, it will have likely exploded and died long ago.”
Ye Chonglou had a face full of ruefulness. Jiang Chen’s words spoke to his heart. Where on earth would he go and find a female for the Phoenix-Dragon?
These kinds of matters were basically something that could come by through luck, but never through searching for it.
“Then, are there any other ways?” Ye Chonglou asked.
“Yes, and actually, it’s the most common method.” A hint of a bizarre smile suddenly appeared on Jiang Chen’s face.
“What is it?”
“Castrate it and put things right once and for all.”
The entire hall erupted into an uproar after Jiang Chen spoke. A hint of shyness flashed through Dan Fei’s beautiful eyes as she stomped her foot lightly, her face a patch of red.
This Jiang Chen truly sought to shock everyone senseless every time he opened his mouth. Castrate it! This… could this be called the most common method? This was giving up eating for fear of choking!
Ye Chonglou had a wry grin on his face, “You… are you joking?”
Jiang Chen spoke seriously, “How would this be a joke? In actuality, the Phoenix-Dragon has always been a creature strong in yin but weak in yang. If Tutor Ye had received a female one, this its potential who would been quite limitless. However, male Phoenix-Dragons have always existed to serve the females, even to the point of being sacrificed for them. Usually, after intercourse, the essence of a male’s blood and its meridians would be fully absorbed by the female. When the male dies, the female will eat the flesh and blood of the male and give birth to the next generation. This is an endless succession of life and death. When the gender of a Phoenix-Dragon is determined, it will determine their vastly different fates.”
Even Ye Dai began to be swayed with these explanations. He really wanted to find the flaws in Jiang Chen’s words, but he couldn’t find anything no matter how he looked.
If it was him, Ye Dai, on the stage, could he fabricate such smooth lies? Craft such flawless excuses? Obviously not!
“Can it be that this brat really has some s.h.i.+tastically awesome luck, and struck up a relations.h.i.+p with an extraordinary person to receive these d.a.m.nable tips? He’s made such a play for himself in front of the honored tutor. This… this kid’s luck is to the point of defying the heavens!”
Ye Dai was so depressed that he was about to burst. He was also so jealous of Jiang Chen’s d.a.m.nable luck that he was about to go stark, raving mad.