Chapter 116: The Tournament at the Prince's Estate

Chu Youcai was led into the examination courtyard of the Prince’s manor. As soon as he entered the yard, he noticed from a distance a figure clad entirely in golden armor seated within the grand hall. The man’s sharply defined features bore a striking resemblance to his own.

This person radiated immense power, yet even more palpable was a fierce killing intent that caused the ten-year-old demonic arts within Chu Youcai to instinctively retract and remain motionless.

A surge of shock filled Chu Youcai’s heart—this was the father he remembered. He had not expected such a potent vitality emanating from him. He wondered if his father had surpassed the fifty-year cultivation mark in the Daoist arts; if so, a mere glance would surely expose the demonic arts embedded within Chu Youcai himself.

Unease stirred within him.

Yet at that moment, the prince did not cast his gaze toward Chu Youcai, but rather toward the woman standing beside him. This woman appeared youthful yet carried an imposing aura that rivaled the prince’s own, exuding an air of command and authority in her speech.

This woman was the lady of the manor.

From afar, Chu Youcai sensed a shroud of darkness enveloping her, an aura he could not clearly discern, but it was enough to make the hair on his back stand on end—her presence was no less formidable than the prince’s.

Fortunately, the lady had not noticed Chu Youcai.

At that moment, both the lady and the prince were intently engaged in conversation with a Taoist nun.

The nun wore a purple Daoist robe.

In her hand, she held a Crane Forest flower, renowned far and wide as the king of flowers, its exquisite beauty unmatched. Yet before this nun, the flower’s brilliance seemed somewhat dimmed.

The Taoist nun appeared elderly, around fifty or sixty, but carried an ethereal, celestial grace and imperial dignity that elevated her presence far above that of the prince and the lady.

Behind her stood two young maidens, heads bowed, their faces obscured. Yet from their figures, they were clearly graceful young beauties.

Chu Youcai’s heart stirred. This Taoist nun must hold a status higher than the prince.

At this moment, he was led to sit in the last row.

The courtyard bustled with the comings and goings of numerous servants and attendants, as well as many young scions being received. Chu Youcai’s arrival went unnoticed.

This was because he was merely a discarded pawn, now serving only as a temporary embellishment.

More importantly, all eyes were fixed on the two young maidens beside the Taoist nun.

Their gazes were fervent—filled with envy, longing, and myriad other emotions.

When Chu Youcai glimpsed the faces of those two maidens, he could not help but smile quietly: “So it’s them!”

The maiden in white on the left possessed a translucent beauty like a lotus blossom, though he did not recognize her. The one in red on the right bore a cold countenance, exuding an aloofness that kept others at bay—it was none other than Jiang Xue, his comrade through thick and thin.

By deduction, the white-clad maiden must be Xiang Yu.

Chu Youcai’s mind stirred; standing behind the Taoist nun, were they perhaps her disciples? For them to become disciples of such a figure would be a blessing, especially since they were demon-born—this affiliation could shield them from worldly entanglements.

Jiang Xue seemed displeased with the many eyes upon her. She kept her gaze lowered, unaware of Chu Youcai watching from afar.

Glancing around, Chu Youcai realized that Chu Yu Wang was nowhere to be seen.

At that moment, a voice beside him said softly, “Third Brother.”

Startled, Chu Youcai turned to see a young maiden standing gracefully, dressed in deep purple gauze robes, holding an incense burner. The peacock incense within was known to calm the mind, yet the girl’s complexion was pale and her expression restless, revealing deep weariness.

Chu Youcai recognized her—this was the ninth sister, Chu Zhaoyun.

He had not expected her to address him so directly.

He smiled gently and replied, “So it’s ninth sister. How have you been lately?”

Chu Zhaoyun shook her head, gazing at the incense burner. “I feel like I’ve lost my soul recently. Not well at all.” Her tone was sincere, as if confiding in a trusted friend.

Seeing this, Chu Youcai recalled their childhood interactions. Because of her gentle and fragile nature, many had bullied her and given her unkind nicknames. But he had never called her such names, earning her genuine affection.

When he had been cast out from the manor, she had even sought him out to offer comfort.

Thinking of this, a pang of sympathy welled up in Chu Youcai’s heart. He mused that Chu Zhaoyun’s melancholy likely stemmed from frequent mistreatment within the prince’s household.

He then offered, “Would you like me to take your pulse? I’ve learned some medical skills recently.”

Chu Zhaoyun looked up in surprise, then extended her hand.

Chu Youcai took her pulse, soon releasing her wrist with a puzzled look. Her pulse pattern was exceedingly strange, and he could not discern its meaning.

By now, several young nobles nearby had noticed Chu Youcai, and particularly the moment he took Chu Zhaoyun’s pulse. Whispers spread:

“Didn’t expect Chu Youcai to revert to old habits and make a move on the ninth sister! Doesn’t he know what day it is?”

“That fellow was disgraced and expelled from the family. If not for the prince returning after five years, why would the manor even invite him?”

“Such bad luck!”

“Besides, I heard he recently wrote some poetry and gained a bit of fame in Yanzhou City.”

“So what? What does Yanzhou matter to us? We’ve been secluded all this time just for today’s competition. Even if we don’t win first place, gaining face before our father is what truly counts. The matters of Yanzhou City are but insignificant trifles beneath the Daoist arts!”

“Exactly.”

Their words, laced with disdain, drifted to Chu Youcai’s ears, prompting a bitter smile.

Yet he noticed Chu Zhaoyun remained unaffected by such talk.

Curious, he asked, “Zhaoyun, these rumors about my poor reputation everywhere—don’t they trouble you?”

Chu Zhaoyun shook her head and met his gaze steadily. “I believe Third Brother is not like that. Those are just rumors. Your expulsion from the family was only because of conflicts with the lady of the manor.”

Chu Youcai smiled wryly, touched by her unwavering faith.

This warm sentiment stirred an indescribable joy within him.