When Tang Fei once again met Eldest Prince Zhong Tianque, he found him even more majestic and composed, befitting of a Crown Prince.
As you grow, so do your rivals.
After Tang Fei paid his respects to Zhong Tianque, Zhong Tianque looked at Tang Fei with a cheerful smile and asked, "How was it? Traveling with the Great Grandmaster for training must have been quite fruitful, right?"
Tang Fei had been out cultivating with the Great Grandmaster for over a year, and they had visited the place where the Great Grandmaster Xuanyuan Mingjing had his enlightenment. This caused a considerable stir in the entire Cultivation World, drawing the attention and concern of countless people.
Some were skeptical, some had expectations, and others were fearful.
The skeptics wondered why Great Grandmaster Xuanyuan Mingjing valued Tang Fei so highly?
Even Shen Xinglan, the genius youngster he personally visited to recruit as a disciple, did not have the opportunity to follow him into the Ninth Layer Ghost Prison. Why then did Tang Fei have such a privilege?
Those with expectations pondered over the prospect of Xuanyuan Mingjing personally acting as his Protector. To what extent could Tang Fei grow? Could it be that he was the disciple truly destined to inherit the Great Grandmaster’s mantle?
The fearful were Tang Fei’s enemies. They didn’t want to see Tang Fei getting too close to Great Grandmaster Xuanyuan Mingjing, nor did they wish for his power to increase excessively – to the point where, as rumors suggested, "even a Grandmaster might not be able to hold him back"...
"The little skill I have, even if improved, hardly deserves to be called ’quite fruitful’," Tang Fei said with a smile. "I merely accompanied my master and assisted him, while he imparted lessons on life and conduct."
"Victory without pride, defeat without discouragement," Zhong Tianque looked at Tang Fei and said, "This time we meet, you seem much more at ease than before... Just this improvement in your Qi Cultivation Skills is a stark contrast from the past."
Tang Fei was secretly alarmed. He had always told others that he hadn’t achieved much in the Ghost Prison, that he was just there helping the Great Grandmaster and occasionally acting as a sounding board.
However, there was a significant change in his external demeanor.
Previously, he felt anxious, with an urgent sense that time was slipping away from him.
Now, he was graceful and composed, not arrogant nor rash, clearly demonstrating newfound confidence.
Zhong Tianque could see it, and naturally, Zhong Daolong could too.
They would harbor doubts about his current strength and realm, and this was not a good sign.
"I heard that my fellow disciple has already advanced to Grandmaster level. Compared to him, my accomplishments as his junior are hardly worth mentioning," Tang Fei said modestly.
Luckily for him, he had a more exceptional senior disciple by his side. Just bring him up, and the excellence of others doesn’t seem so special anymore.
True to form, Zhong Tianque began to comfort Tang Fei, saying, "Don’t belittle yourself... Someone like Shen Xinglan, one in a thousand years if that. To have the Great Grandmaster personally lower himself to ask, with cultivation breakthroughs as easy as drinking water... There was none before him, and there will be none after."
"How long have you cultivated? Before, in the Old Land, you had no access to profound Cultivation Techniques or the guidance of a great master; you never underwent systematic study... I heard your foundation was shaky, and it was Phoenix who took the Imperial Court Scripture from the palace to help you build your Qi Cultivation base..."
Tang Fei, with an ’anxious’ expression, hurriedly explained, "It’s all my fault... It’s because my cultivation wasn’t rigorous that His Highness the Princess took pity and fetched the Imperial Court Scripture to help me with Foundation Establishment and Qi Cultivation... If anyone is to blame, blame me, it’s all my fault and has nothing to do with Her Highness the Princess..."
Zhong Tianque patted Tang Fei’s shoulder, reassuring him, "What I’m telling you isn’t to assign blame. The Imperial Court Scripture is a Royal Secret Treasure, a top-tier Cultivation Technique used by Royal Family Members to solidify their foundation and nurture their essence... Since Phoenix brought it for you to see, it proves that you and it are fated, and that you are fated with our Royal Family."
"Are you not angry, Your Highness?"
"Angry? Why should I be angry?" Zhong Tianque said with a hearty laugh, looking at Tang Fei. "I mention this to tell you that you haven’t cultivated for long, your foundation isn’t solid enough, and previously, you lacked guidance from a great master. These are the areas where you fall short compared to Shen Xinglan..."
"But with time, you might not necessarily lose to him, and your achievements might not be lesser than his. I believe in the Great Grandmaster’s judgment; his disciples naturally have their extraordinary aspects."
"Thank you, Your Highness," Tang Fei said with a respectful bow.
"You, always so formal," Zhong Tianque said feigning displeasure. "We will be spending a lot more time together in the future, and you will then understand what kind of person I am."
"Yes, yes, I will heed Your Highness’s words," Tang Fei nodded repeatedly.
Only then was Zhong Tianque satisfied, saying, "Hmm, you’ve already met with the King, haven’t you?"
"Yes. I was graced with an audience by the King, and we exchanged a few words."
"How did it go? Has your path been set?"
"The King assigned me to the Monitoring Bureau."
"The Monitoring Bureau? A good place indeed. I had earlier suggested to my father about this, didn’t expect he would actually arrange for you to go there," Zhong Tianque said with a chuckle. "A position of high authority, handle a few cases well, and you can rise rapidly through the ranks. Hahaha, the King values you highly."
"Yes, yes, yes... Such immense imperial grace; I hardly know how to repay it. All I can do is to bow down and exhaust my service until death," Tang Fei said gratefully.
In his heart, however, he was sneering. Do you father and son take me for an ignorant child?
Though the Monitoring Bureau was indeed as the phrase "high position, great power" described, because of the nature of their work, which often involved making enemies and exterminating entire families, it was not an easy task.