Falling in Love with a 500-year-old female elder - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Heavenly Pride List Request to Mr. Ning

“After the court?”

In the southwest corner of the inn, Princess Huai Zhu was taken aback and quickly muffled her exclamation. She hadn’t anticipated encountering remnants of the previous dynasty here.

“Yan Qingfei… Yan’s family… it should be true!”

“It’s just surprising that the Great Yan Dynasty vanished thousands of years ago, and yet there are still surviving descendants?”

Princess Huai Zhu marveled at the idea. Her amazement didn’t stem from fear that Yan Qingfei and other remnants might be plotting to restore the country. Presently, the Great Yan Dynasty was at its zenith, and the realm was peaceful. Emperor Yan Huang was in his prime, presiding over an era of prosperity. Even the royal offspring, like her elder brother Yan Ling, had grown strong and formidable. Yan Ling, the Crown Prince, possessed a supreme dragon vein, and his cultivation had thrived. In terms of strength, he might well be the most powerful among the royals.

Considering all this, the Great Yan Dynasty’s fall from grace had occurred millennia ago. Even if remnants of the previous dynasty wished to reclaim their throne, they would face insurmountable odds, let alone ordinary citizens who had long enjoyed tranquility.

Her surprise lay in the fact that she hadn’t expected any remnants of the Great Yan Dynasty to have survived after such a long time, let alone live in their midst.

“Your Highness, should we report this to the palace upon our return?” Rouge, the maid, whispered.

Princess Huai Zhu contemplated the notion before shaking her head and saying, “No, even if there are descendants of the former dynasty among us, they’re probably just living peacefully together. They wouldn’t harbor any intentions of subversion, nor would they incite unrest. They’ve likely assimilated into our Great Yan realm over thousands of years. It would be heartless to condemn them to death based on this.”

Rouge nodded in agreement, a gesture Princess Huai Zhu appreciated.

Seeing this, Princess Huai Zhu couldn’t help but chuckle and remarked, “As humans, it’s important to leave others a path to survival.”

…

Inside the inn, Yan Qingfei stared at Ning Chuan with wide eyes, a look of disbelief etched on his face. How could Ning Chuan possibly know that he was a descendant of the former dynasty?

Yan Qingfei hailed from a lineage that had long been extinguished, and he had never divulged this secret to anyone save for his friend, Swordsman Jianzi. Jianzi was always immersed in his sword training in the mountains, hardly ever speaking. There was no way he would reveal such a secret.

So how did Ning Chuan unearth this truth?

Next to Yan Qingfei, the young swordsman from the Sword Gate, the current sword scion, also lifted his gaze, a tinge of surprise in his eyes.

He, too, was familiar with Yan Qingfei’s background. Despite Yan Qingfei’s lack of ambition to restore the fallen dynasty, the title “descendant of the former dynasty” was nonetheless sensitive. It could potentially attract the court’s suspicion.

As Yan Qingfei’s good friend, he wouldn’t leak the information to others.

Suddenly, the young swordsman recalled a storyteller from some time ago who sharply criticized the world’s first Heavenly Pride, Jiang Chenfeng. The storyteller had even accurately predicted the time Jiang Chenfeng would unveil the Great Destruction Sword.

Now that he thought about it, wasn’t this Mr. Ning?

“Could it be…? Could this Mr. Ning truly possess the ability to decipher the intricate mechanisms hidden even from deities and spirits?” the young swordsman mused.

…

“Very well, if that’s all, Lord Yan, I shall take my leave.”

Ning Chuan offered Yan Qingfei a smile and prepared to depart.

“Wait… Wait a moment.”

Yan Qingfei took a deep breath, bowed his head, and beseeched, “Ning… Mr. Ning, I have a bold request!”

“I hope that Mr. Ning can create a list of the top ten talents in the world!”

“I want to know where I, Yan Qingfei, stand among the younger generation in today’s world!”

“I also wish to understand where Yan Ling, the current imperial son, ranks among the six individuals you mentioned that day!”

As his words resonated, Yan Qingfei raised his head, his gaze fixed on Ning Chuan with eager anticipation.

“A Heavenly Pride List?”

Ning Chuan’s eyes narrowed.

Before he could respond, the Seven Blessings Inn erupted in an uproar, the entire place buzzing with excitement.

“A Top Ten Proud Rankings? Cataloging the most outstanding individuals in the world?”

“This is incredible!”

“If such a list is compiled… the martial world will be set ablaze!!!”

“Heavenly Pride List… This promises to be quite a spectacle!”

“Indeed! Since Mr. Ning already named six of the top talents before, why not complete the list with the remaining four and create a Heavenly Pride List?”

“This is splendid! I also dare ask Mr. Ning to initiate a Heavenly Pride List!”

The audience was exhilarated, eager for this development. The matter of who among the younger generation was the strongest had been a topic of incessant debate in the martial circles. With the introduction of the Heavenly Pride List, wouldn’t it finally settle the matter once and for all?

Besides the general excitement, individuals like Nan Yuexi, the Red Umbrella Girl, Swordsman Jianzi, and others within the inn wore enigmatic expressions.

“A Heavenly Pride List?”

Nan Yuexi narrowed her eyes, intrigued by the notion. “If… Mr. Ning were to create such a list, where would I rank?” she wondered curiously. Though reserved, she possessed the inherent desire not to lag behind others. Nan Yuexi held Ning Chuan in high regard, and if he, as the “Master of Heavenly Secrets,” compiled such a list, she would hold it in the utmost esteem.

…

“A Heavenly Pride List?”

Swordsman Jianzi’s eyes narrowed. As a practitioner of swordsmanship, one must be resolute in their pursuit and courageous in confronting challenges. His trip outside the mountains was a journey of self-discovery and to test his sword against the world.

Amidst all this, the matter of the six individuals mentioned by Mr. Ning, especially the swordsman Bei Han who mastered the frosty art on the frigid glaciers up north, piqued his interest. Swordsman Jianzi’s eyes flashed with determination and anticipation as he longed to know the strengths and weaknesses among these top talents.

…

“A Heavenly Pride List?”

The girl beneath the red umbrella, seated in a quiet corner, was taken aback before letting out a soft chuckle. “How amusing, how very amusing.”

…

Simultaneously, in Ning Chuan’s mind, a system notification chimed.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host! The conversation has ignited fervent expectations among the audience. Reward: 1000 storytelling points!]

Hearing the prompt, Ning Chuan’s mind was set. He raised his head, gazed around at the crowd, and calmly uttered a single word:

“Agreed.”