Protect Our Patriarch
Book 5: Chapter 154: The Immortal Emperor is furious! Catch them all in one net!

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"I'm sorry, Ancestor Lanxin." Princess Suiyun hadn't expected this outcome either. She held the hand of King Lanxin and softly comforted her, "I didn't foresee this. People's hearts do change. Should we just leave?"

"Suiyun, you've never even been in love, so don't try to give advice, okay?" Princess Huari crossed her arms, her little face puffed up with anger. "To deal with an old scoundrel like this, you have to teach him a harsh lesson. First, you should lure him in, and then dump him hard, so he can savor the taste of loss."

"Huari, what do you know, you little brat?" Princess Suiyun tapped her on the forehead, exasperated. "I haven't been in love, but have you? If it were up to me, I'd put a sack over that old scoundrel's head, beat him up, and toss him into the sea to feed the fish."

"Agreed, I agree, okay?" Princess Huari rubbed her forehead, looking aggrieved. "Suiyun, you're such a domineering princess."

"It's not entirely his fault," King Lanxin said awkwardly. "After all, the oldest of them is only a few hundred years old, while I'm already three thousand. Naturally, I can't compare to their youthful charm."

"Ancestor Lanxin, you're still speaking up for him?" Princess Suiyun was furious.

"Not really..." King Lanxin frowned slightly, reluctantly reflecting, "I just remember when I was young, I was also arrogant and didn't give him much face."

While they were talking, the social gathering was in full swing.

With the help of delicious food and spiritual wine, the atmosphere in the venue gradually became harmonious. The brothers and sisters were like blooming flowers, mingling and chatting with the young ladies.

In their entire lives, they probably hadn't spoken to women as much as they did during this meal.

And this was undoubtedly thanks to Wang Ningxi's tactics. With his fiery eyes, he had already spotted several couples sneaking out together.

The most "infuriating" of all was the Hundred Refinements True Monarch. Like an old butterfly, he flitted among the young flowers, never once glancing at King Lanxin.

Princess Suiyun held back her frustration several times, almost leaving, but King Lanxin stopped her each time.

Until the end, when the music faded and the gathering dispersed, only two people were left with bitterness in their hearts.

One of them was, of course, the recently high-profile Young Master Yao Chengchao.

Faced with the exorbitant bill presented by Manager Wang, he shed tears of regret. If he had known, why did he provoke Princess Huari?

The other was King Lanxin.

Facing the desolate scene after the wild social gathering, her heart gradually sank.

She realized that she, Lanxin, was no longer the goddess she once was.

Against the young spiritual plant cultivators, she had no competitiveness left. Her era of glory had come to an end.

She drank the last glass of spiritual wine and gracefully stood up.

Unexpectedly, just as she was about to leave, a deep voice from the Hundred Refinements True Monarch came from behind, "Lanxin, long time no see."

King Lanxin turned around abruptly, and sure enough, the Hundred Refinements True Monarch was looking at her with a faint smile.

Her heart stirred, and she was about to greet him when her expression suddenly turned cold, "Aren't you going to accompany those young girls?"

"I was just trying to gather some information about the goddess Lanxin in my heart," the Hundred Refinements True Monarch said with a relaxed smile. "Lanxin, are you jealous?"

"Who would be jealous~" King Lanxin's heart panicked, and she said angrily, "Hundred Refinements, you're overestimating yourself. Why are you stopping me? I'm going back to the mansion."

With that, she hurriedly tried to walk past him.

Unexpectedly, she had just taken a couple of steps when the Hundred Refinements True Monarch shamelessly blocked her path.

He flipped his palm, revealing a dark golden crafting sphere, and handed it to her, "It's been a long time since we've met, this is a gift for you."

King Lanxin was speechless.

A crafting straight man indeed, giving a metal ball instead of flowers at a time like this. Oh well, since he prepared a gift, he at least showed some thought. She decided to accept it.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she took the sphere, it seemed to come alive, blooming like a flower bud.

In the sunlight, a dazzling golden orchid appeared in King Lanxin's palm.

King Lanxin was pleasantly surprised.

"This is the Eternal Flower I crafted over many years with refined gold. Because in my heart, Lanxin, you are like this eternal flower, never withering." The Hundred Refinements True Monarch looked at the Eternal Flower in King Lanxin's hand, a hint of relief in his smile. "I never had the chance to give it to you, but thanks to Ningxi today, my dream has come true. Goodbye, Lanxin, I'm going back to be my blacksmith and continue contributing to the human race."

With that, he turned to leave.

"Wait!"

King Lanxin, in a panic, instinctively called out to him.

The Hundred Refinements True Monarch paused, turning to look at her.

"Let's find a place to have a drink." King Lanxin tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, her beautiful face slightly flushed. "Don't get me wrong, I just want to thank you for the gift. Also, I owe you an apology."

"Alright."

The Hundred Refinements True Monarch readily agreed.

Soon, the two of them left the venue together.

Watching their figures gradually disappear down the shaded path, Yao Chengchao was left alone, staring blankly, deeply confused.

At this moment, his mind was filled with one thought: Who am I, where am I, and what am I doing?

...

This matchmaking event was the most efficient and successful one yet, bringing together countless young couples and giving them a chance to be together.

As the romantic atmosphere between the disciples of the Hundred Refinements Hall and the spiritual plant cultivators of the Hundred Herb Garden grew stronger, even King Lanxin found herself gradually falling for the gentle advances of the Hundred Refinements True Monarch, preparing for a twilight romance.

However, what left Princess Suiyun speechless was that those crafting straight men were quite "capable." Not only did they successfully win over beauties in love, but they also took the lead in their careers, often marveling at how wonderful the Eastern Qian Kingdom was and expressing a desire to see different scenery.

Over time, the young spiritual plant cultivators were "brainwashed" and expressed a desire to travel to Eastern Qian to see for themselves.

Princess Suiyun lost this battle miserably, losing both her soldiers and her generals.

At this time, the first batch of black armor transported by Yao's Air Transport to the Immortal Dynasty's "airport" finally completed the procedures, obtained entry and trade permits, and was transported by land to the Black Armor Department.

Today was the day to inspect the quality of the black armor produced by the Wang Clan.

In the Black Armor Department.

The warehouse storing the black armor was brightly lit.

Large wooden boxes specifically for black armor were neatly stacked in designated areas, with pathways left in between for people to walk through, orderly and clearly defined.

A hundred thousand sets of black armor were not a small quantity. Even with careful planning and stacking, they still occupied a vast space. The boxes were stacked so high that even with all the rune lamps in the warehouse turned on, the areas near the ground remained dimly lit, like walking through a dense forest.

At this moment.

Princess Suiyun, the Minister of the Immortal Armament Division, King of the South, the Director of the Black Armor Department Zhao Xiqing, Liu Zhangling of the Immortal Armament Division, Wang Ningxi of the Changning Wang Clan, the recently resigned Pei Xin'an, the Hundred Refinements True Monarch, and a group of elite crafting masters were all gathered together.

Of course, Princess Huari was also there to witness the event.

This time, she was pulled to Zhao Xiqing's side, looking cared for and protected.

After all, Huari's mother was a direct descendant of the Zhao Clan's twins, so it was natural for them to be close.

"Your Highness, the Princess." Liu Zhangling bowed respectfully. "This batch of black armor is military equipment for the outer region battlefield. The soldiers there fight to protect the human race, so we must be responsible for them. Therefore, I believe this batch of black armor should be inspected to the highest standards."

At the mention of this.

Princess Suiyun's eyes became serious.

The quality of the black armor was related to the soldiers' lives, and she would not allow anyone to be negligent in this matter.

However, this matter was led by King of the South from the Immortal Armament Division, not only was it within his responsibilities, but he was also her elder, so it was not appropriate for her to overstep.

She looked at King of the South and said, "Ancestor Yuntai, you decide."

"Ha~" King of the South chuckled nonchalantly. "With the princess present, how could I, Yuntai An, have a say? Your Highness, inspect as you wish."

As he spoke, King of the South glanced at Liu Zhangling with a faint smile.

Liu Zhangling was an official under the Immortal Armament Division, and he was quite familiar with him.

This person came from the third-grade Liu Clan, naturally capable and loyal to the Immortal Dynasty, but his entire clan was nothing more than Princess Suiyun's sycophants. Even the most outstanding talents in their clan served as advisors in Princess Suiyun's mansion.

Of course, this was understandable. After all, Princess Suiyun was the most likely to ascend the throne, and people naturally gravitated towards higher places.

"Ancestor Yuntai, Suiyun has no intention of targeting you, nor does she intend to target the Wang Clan." Princess Suiyun quickly explained sincerely, seeing that King of the South's tone was off. "It's just that this is the first collaboration between the Changning Wang Clan and the Immortal Armament Division, and the first order is such a large one, so it's only natural to be cautious. At least it can urge the Wang Clan to pay more attention to quality. The matter of black armor concerns the lives of soldiers, and there's no room for jokes."

"You are the princess, responsible for overseeing the world on behalf of His Majesty, so you can manage all matters, big and small. How could I have any objections?" King of the South smiled insincerely. "Inspect thoroughly, let's see if there are any shady dealings between me and the Changning Wang Clan."

It was clear that King of the South was extremely dissatisfied with this matter.

Especially since Liu Zhangling had privately invited Princess Suiyun to preside over the inspection, he was even more displeased. This was a blatant accusation of him being corrupt and playing with the lives of soldiers.

"Ancestor Yuntai, I have no such intention. If you insist on misunderstanding, I have nothing to say." Princess Suiyun frowned slightly, her tone also becoming firm. "However, as you said, I have the right to oversee the world and the right to inspect the quality of this batch of black armor. If you have any dissatisfaction, don't be sarcastic, just come at me."

"Open the boxes, inspect the goods!"

Who was Princess Suiyun?

She was the Immortal Dynasty's long princess, renowned for her achievements on the outer region battlefield. Fear was never her style.

"Crack!"

One wooden box after another was brought down and opened in front of Princess Suiyun.

"Random inspection!" Liu Zhangling commanded a group of managers, his expression serious. "Inspect one item from each box, compare the quality to the sample data, and inspect a total of three hundred items."

He was extremely confident in his judgment.

The Wang Clan had only a few crafting masters, yet they managed to produce the first batch of a hundred thousand sets of black armor in just a few years. This was beyond his imagination. Even with a large number of crafting masters sent by the Immortal Dynasty to assist, the production was still unreasonable.

With such a terrifying production rate, it was naturally impossible to ensure that every piece of black armor was of the same quality.

As long as the quality was slightly inferior to the sample, he could make a big fuss about it.

This was why he took the risk of inviting Princess Suiyun to oversee the inspection. The princess was considerate of the frontline soldiers and would not tolerate any flaws.

Even King of the South would likely face criticism from His Majesty, and naturally, he couldn't do anything to him.

As for failure, that was impossible.

Liu Zhangling had managed the Immortal Armament Division for many years and understood that crafting masters' skills varied greatly, and they often had their own ideas. If it were a single spiritual or magical treasure, it would be fine, but the more mass-produced items, the more likely problems would arise.

Unless the Wang Clan could achieve extreme quality control, defects were unavoidable.

And with such a remarkable production rate, how could they maintain strict quality control?

One set of black armor after another was pulled from the wooden boxes and inspected in front of everyone.

To eliminate any tricks, each piece of black armor was cross-examined by three crafting masters. If any substandard black armor was found, it would be re-examined by another crafting master on-site.

This mode almost eliminated all possibilities of cheating.

This was the most stringent inspection rule set by Liu Zhangling to prevent the Wang Clan from secretly bribing the inspecting crafting masters.

"Sample one, the quality is excellent, all indicators exceed the sample by one to two percent!" After examining a piece of black armor, several crafting masters reached a shocking conclusion.

"What?" Liu Zhangling's face froze. "Better than the sample? How is that possible!"

In any crafting workshop, to sell products at a good price, they would put a lot of effort into the samples. In other words, the products chosen as samples were the best of the best, and it was impossible to have a defective product as a sample.

The fact that the mass-produced products performed much better than the samples was a bizarre occurrence anywhere.

Liu Zhangling felt uneasy and puzzled, hurriedly saying, "Re-examine sample one!"

With this order, a new group of crafting masters was immediately arranged to verify it.

This group of crafting masters were Liu Zhangling's trusted subordinates, but with so many big shots present and all eyes on them, they dared not cheat.

Upon initial examination, this group of crafting masters was stunned, quickly checking twice more before suppressing their strange expressions and reporting to the big shots, "Sample one, the quality is excellent, indeed much better than the sample."

At this point, even King of the South's expression relaxed slightly.

Although he trusted the Wang Clan, he was afraid of any unexpected issues on-site. However, until the final result, he held back from expressing his opinion.

"Continue the random inspection." Liu Zhangling steadied himself and continued to order.

One excellent sample didn't mean the whole batch was excellent. Who knows, they might have just happened to pick a piece crafted by a master.

Soon, the quality of other samples was quickly inspected.

"Sample two, the quality is excellent, all indicators exceed the sample."

"Sample nineteen, the quality is excellent, all indicators exceed the sample."

"Sample ninety-three..."

"Sample two hundred eleven..."

As each inspection group continued to conclude the quality checks, Liu Zhangling's face gradually turned pale, sweat dripping from his forehead.

If only a few samples exceeded the sample, it would be understandable, as some of the crafting masters sent to support the Wang Clan were indeed quite skilled.

But the current situation had completely exceeded his imagination.

Could it be, could the Wang Clan use some kind of magic? Through some means he didn't understand, did they manage to give all the excellent pieces to the inspection group?

"Sample three hundred, the quality is excellent, all indicators exceed the sample."

With the final quality check conclusion of the last sample, the scene fell silent.

At this moment, everyone's hearts were filled with shock.

Whether neutral or inclined towards the Wang Clan, the impact was no less than that on Liu Zhangling, and they found it unbelievable.

Impressive! The Wang Clan's performance was truly impressive~

King of the South was also stunned for a long time before he burst into hearty laughter, "Hahaha~ Good, good, good, worthy of being my personally chosen partner. The quality of this batch of black armor is exactly as I expected. Your Highness, Princess Suiyun, now you should understand how diligently I have fulfilled my duties!"

Expected, my foot, he never imagined the Wang Clan would be so outstanding.

Princess Suiyun was deeply ashamed and immediately stood up to apologize to King of the South, "Ancestor Yuntai, I shouldn't have secretly criticized your decision to cooperate with the Wang Clan. I will host a banquet to apologize to you personally."

"No need for an apology banquet." King of the South chuckled, appearing very agreeable. "Your Highness is just doing your duty~"

With that, he glanced at Liu Zhangling, his expression turning cold, and sneered, "Liu Zhide, do you know your crime?"

Liu Zhangling, drenched in cold sweat, hurriedly bowed and defended, "Your Highness, my actions may have been harsh, but I was only concerned about the quality of the black armor~"

"I'm not talking about that." King of the South took out a stack of papers, sneering, "Since you took charge of the Immortal Armament Division, you've received quite a bit of tribute. For those crafting masters who refused to bribe, you've marginalized and ostracized them."

"This has led to severe consequences. Many of the ostracized crafting masters have been forced to leave their stable jobs and work in Eastern Qian, causing a significant loss of talent for the Immortal Armament Division."

"I can testify to this." Pei Xin'an stepped forward, "I don't have evidence of Liu Zhangling's corruption, so I won't speak carelessly. But he did marginalize me and used his authority to send me to Eastern Qian. Fortunately, the Eastern Qian Wang Clan was far more outstanding than I imagined, and they valued skilled technicians."

"To put it simply, my basic salary plus performance bonuses, along with bonuses for technical breakthroughs, all add up to an average annual income fifteen times that of the Immortal Armament Division!"

"Fifteen times!?"

Hearing this, the crafting masters serving as inspectors were stunned.

Is this a joke?

"Ahem!" King of the South quickly coughed to stop him, "Old Pei, don't talk nonsense! Especially not here!"

If he continued, many more people might be poached.

"Why can't I speak? Just because you're King of the South, you can stop people from speaking the truth?" Pei Xin'an, showing his rebellious attitude, retorted, "Every penny I earn is clear and transparent. Why can't I talk about the money I earn with my skills?"

"Can you respect your superiors?" King of the South was exasperated.

"You, a leader who knows nothing about crafting, are just an outsider directing insiders." Pei Xin'an sneered disdainfully, "You're not even as good as that Wang Shouzhe. Although Wang Shouzhe knows nothing about crafting and likes to give random orders, at least he's smart and occasionally offers constructive suggestions."

King of the South's face turned dark with anger.

With a mouth like Pei Xin'an's, who else would he ostracize if not him?

For a moment, he somewhat understood Liu Zhide.

"Princess Suiyun, please convey my opinion to the Immortal Emperor." Pei Xin'an continued passionately, "We technicians have been silently contributing to the human race for many years. We deserve either money or respect, don't we?"

This sentiment resonated with many crafting masters present.

Crafting masters had it the hardest. Despite tirelessly crafting weapons and armor day and night, they faced constant criticism and had to endure leadership from outsiders. Who could understand their struggles?

"Old Pei, I've taken note of this matter." Princess Suiyun apologized, "I'll discuss it with His Majesty, including improving the treatment of crafting masters and allowing more crafting masters to enter management. You don't need to resign... and please don't poach people, or His Majesty will be furious."

"No, I still have to resign. I'm not a slave of the Immortal Armament Division, nor a slave of the Immortal Emperor. What do you mean by His Majesty being furious? Why didn't anyone care about us before I made a fuss?" Pei Xin'an sneered, feeling disdainful.

As the saying goes, "spilled water cannot be retrieved." Now that the problem has resulted in bitter consequences, they realize they need to change. What were they doing before?

He continued to rant, "The Immortal Emperor has been aloof for so many years, never looking at us. If she had shown a little more care and support, things wouldn't have turned out this way. In my opinion, her vision isn't even as good as that Wang Shouzhe, and she's no match for Ningxi."

Everyone was stunned, even Wang Ningxi broke into a cold sweat.

Pei Xin'an was truly bold, daring to criticize the Immortal Emperor after criticizing his ancestor in the Wang Clan!

Wang Ningxi considered himself bold, but compared to Pei Xin'an, the gap was still too large.

Suddenly!

A powerful energy fluctuation erupted in the sky.

In an instant, the sky changed.

The entire world seemed to fall silent at that moment.

Silvery light, like moonlight, gathered from the void, starting as mere specks and quickly transforming into ribbons of silver brilliance, emitting an overwhelmingly terrifying energy fluctuation.

In just a few breaths, the light condensed into a graceful figure in the sky.

Her hair was styled high, adorned with a golden crown, and she wore a complex and solemn imperial robe that swayed gently in the wind, resembling a deity seated high above, noble and majestic.

This was none other than Immortal Emperor Mu Yun!

The Immortal Emperor's gaze swept over the scene below, her voice calm, "Who dares to insult the Emperor?"

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

Everyone hurriedly paid their respects.

Even Wang Ningxi quickly bowed low, hoping the Immortal Emperor wouldn't notice him.

But the Immortal Emperor immediately recognized Wang Ningxi in the crowd, a faint smile playing on her lips, "Are you Wang Ningxi?"

"Uh... hehe, I am Ningxi of the Changning Wang Clan." Wang Ningxi chuckled awkwardly.

"Good, very good. Your Wang Clan is indeed full of talent." Immortal Emperor Mu Yun's smile grew more amiable, "I've heard about your recent deeds, quite impressive. Even I, in the deep palace, have been alerted."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the praise."

Wang Ningxi felt uneasy but dared not remain silent, forcing himself to respond.

"Get out!!" The Immortal Emperor glared at his refined face, unable to suppress her anger, "Get out of the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty immediately, and don't set foot in the Immortal Dynasty for a hundred years!"

"Ah?"

Wang Ningxi was caught off guard, utterly bewildered.

Was he being personally reprimanded by the Immortal Emperor?

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