Chapter 181: Family
Ze Tian Palace, there was Kou Xun wearing a lofty hat with hands crossed across his chest. His manner was very respectful as he looked at the Falcon Guards in front of him and he said with a smile, “May I ask which sir is participating in the Swordsman Meet?”
“Me.” Lin Mu Yu walked forward. It wasn’t that Wei Chou and the others didn’t want to participate, they just couldn’t afford the one hundred gold coin fee.
Kou Xun revealed a faint smile and said, “It’s sir commander who’s participating, alright. Please write your name down on the register, add your thumbprint, and pay the fee.”
“Many thanks.”
Lin Mu Yu walked forward and took a pen from a guard, writing his name down on the register and putting down his thumbprint. Looking it over at the same time, he found two other names before his. One was Yuwen Lian and the other was Tan Hao, which both seemed like juniors from official families. That Yuwen Lian, it should be that person he saw in the auction hall last time. The son of the Hu Guo General Yuwen Xie, he must have some skills.
After he finished writing it, Kou Xun looked at Lin Mu Yu’s words. He resisted laughing as he said, “Alright, it’s already done. Five days from now in the morning, the Swordsman Meeting will be held on the martial stage in front of the Ze Tian Palace, I ask sir not to be late!”
“Un, many thanks.”
Lin Mu Yu cupped his hand and led Wei Chou and the others from the Ze Tian Palace. Before he went far, there was a group of maids carrying lanterns surrounding a person who came over. The moonlight shined on the face of the girl in the middle, accenting her beauty. It was no one else but Qin Yin.
“Big brother Ah Yu!”
Qin Yin ran faster and agilely arrived beside Lin Mu Yu like a butterfly. With a smile, she said, “You didn’t tell Xiao Yin you were coming to the palace, it was a good thing that royal father told me!”
Her expression was very affectionate as she grabbed Lin Mu Yu’s arm. Wei Chou and the others all revealed a vague expression like they understood something, making Lin Mu Yu feeling a bit awkward, who then said, “I came this time to enter the Swordsman Meeting, so there isn’t anything special and I didn’t come see you.”
Qin Yin pursed her little lips, “Then you can also come see me…..”
Lin Mu Yu couldn’t say anything, so he tried avoiding the topic, “That isn’t…..Ah, the moon tonight is really good…..”
Qin Yin raised her head to look at the moon and couldn’t help smiling as she said, “The moon really is beautiful, but big brother Ah Yu, come with me. Royal father wants to see you!”
“Oh, his majesty wants to see me?”
“Un, come quickly.”
“Alright.”
A group of people moved through Ze Tian Palace to the main hall. Wei Chou and the other Imperial Guards waited outside and only Lin Mu Yu with his hand being pulled by Qin Yin entered, but Qin Jin was not in the main hall, rather he was in the back hall. When Lin Mu Yu walked in, he was shocked. He saw the emperor Qin Jin wearing simple clothing holding an iron pan. This kingdom’s ruler was actually cooking a meal!
“Is Ah Yu here?”
Qin Jin did not even look back as he said with a smile, “Wait a bit, royal father’s stir fried Cloud Deer tongue meat will be done soon. You didn’t say a word when you came back, it was a good thing the ministers told me, so I had Xiao Yin call you here. Our family will eat a meal in celebration of our reunion. Ah Yu, you have to remember to come back for a meal every holiday, otherwise this large table will only be for me and Xiao Yin…..You also know, Xiao Yin likes lively situations since she was young.”
Lin Mu Yu’s heart felt warm as he cupped his hands and said, “Un, I understand royal father.”
“Sit and wait a bit. That’s right, Xiao Yin, go and warm the wine. It’s cold today, drinking cold wine is bad for our stomachs.”
“Yes, royal father!”
The way the empire warmed up its wine was very simple. Qin Yin placed the wine bottle into a golden urn and filled the golden urn with hot water. Just letting it heat up like this was fine.
Lin Mu Yu did not sit down and returned outside the main hall. He said to Wei Chou’s group, “I’ll be having my meal in the Ze Tian Palace today. You should all go back to the Falcon’s Nest for your meal, the Spirit Fire Department will close if you’re late.”
Wei Chou revealed a faint smile, “No need. I’ll wait here for sir and I’ll be taken care of here.”
“Un, that’s fine.”
Lin Mu Yu nodded as he understood what Wei Chou was thinking. Lin Mu Yu was the emperor’s adopted son now and was good friends with Feng Ji Xing, Qin Lei, and Qin Yin, he would become a thorn in the God Marquis Zeng Yi Fan’s side eventually. If he were to move alone, perhaps he would fall into Zeng Yi Fan’s clutches. Lin Mu Yu was not Zeng Yi Fan’s match, there was no doubt about that, but if Wei Chou and the others were with him, they could at least fight back against him. They were even confident in retreating unharmed, after all, Wei Chou was not weak with the Demon Devouring Bow. As long as they could avoid falling into Zeng Yi Fan’s Saint Realm domain, the deadly arrows should be what Zeng Yi Fan, this kind of strong Saint Realm experts fears the most. After all, arrows did not have intelligence and were not affected by domains.
When he returned into the Ze Tian Palace, Qin Yin had already finished warming up the wine and the “Cloud Deer stir fry with peppers” Qin Jin was working on had been plated. The aromatic fragrance filled the air and entered his nose. At the same time, Qin Jin also opened up a pot which was filled with “Stewed bear claws with Blood Ginseng”. That fragrance was strong enough to make one suffocate.
Adding in the other dishes which quickly filled the entire table, it all looked very delicious.
Qin Jin clapped his hands and took off his apron, restoring a bit of his emperor’s state. He said with a smile, “What are you standing in a daze for? Ah Yu, sit down, Qin Yin, sit down as well. Come and pour some wine for royal father and your big brother.”
Qin Yin’s smile was very sweet, “Alright!”
The wine fermented from yin flowers were very fragrant, just the scent of a single cup of wine was enough to make a person deeply intoxicated. Lin Mu Yu closed his eyes as he took deep whiff, feeling the fragrance of the yin flower wine, secretly sighing in regret. If he stayed in this world for too long, he might become an alcoholic which wasn’t a good thing.
Qin Jin saw Lin Mu Yu’s appearance and couldn’t help smiling, “Ah Yu, come and drink a cup with royal father.”
“Un, alright.”
Lin Mu Yu raised his cup and said with a smile, “I pray for royal father’s health and good fortune…..”
These words made Qin Jin stunned, but he quickly recovered his smile as he said, “Ah Yu, your words are really interesting. Come, we’ll drink the entire cup. This is our family’s first time tasting royal father’s craftsmanship together, no need to be polite.”
“Un, un.”
After drinking the entire cup, he felt a warm feeling coming from his abdomen. Although this yin flower wine was fragrant, its alcohol degree was not low. Once one gets greedy, they will surely become drunk.
While Lin Mu Yu was considering how much he could drink before stopping, Qin Jin pushed the stewed bear claws towards him and said, “Ah Yu, try this dish. Royal father stewed these bear claws for an entire day, so the flavour should be very full. That Blood Ginseng is a good item good for clearing clotted blood and it’s said it can clear the clots formed when you cultivators cultivate. You and Xiao Yin should eat up.”
“Un, many thanks royal father.”
“Why are you being polite. Xiao Yin, drink a cup with your big brother Ah Yu.”
“Alright.”
Qin Yin helped put some food into Lin Mu Yu’s plate and raised her cup after seeing him eat two bites. With a smile, she said, “Big brother Ah Yu, Xiao Yin will drink to you, blessing your cultivation. I hope you enter the Saint Realm soon, ah, that’s wrong, it should be enter the God Realm soon!”
Lin Mu Yu couldn’t help smiling, “Stepping into the 3rd Heaven Tier is already hard enough, not to mention the Saint Realm or the God Realm. However, I still have to thank Xiao Yin for her auspicious words….”
He raised his head and drank a cup of wine. He couldn’t help complaining that the Ze Tian Palace wine cup really weren’t small. With just these two large bowls, he was already feeling a bit dizzy.
He ate more food. Qin Jin’s craftsmanship was truly unsurpassed and even in a place like the Listening Rain House, it would not be inferior. It had to be said, Lin Mu Yu was very satisfied with this meal and gradually felt his guard being released. After all, Qin Jin and Qin Yin really seemed like they were a new family for him.
He didn’t know how long passed and he felt his head feeling a bit heavy, most likely because he was drunk and his stomach was full. Lin Mu Yu tried his best to maintain his respectful appearance, he could not show his crazy appearance in front of Qin Jin. After all, Qin Jin was a supreme existence in this world and it was rare enough that he could be treated like he belonged. It wouldn’t be unreasonable if he overstepped his boundaries.
If people give me a foot of respect, I give them three meters, this was Lin Mu Yu’s style of conduct.
“Ah Yu, are you also participating in the Swordsman Meet?” Qin Jin asked with a smile.
“Un, that’s right……”
Lin Mu Yu felt a bit tipsy, so he placed his palm on the table. With a smile, he said, “When I met Xiao Yin back then, she urged me to participate in the Swordsman Meet. Now that I am an Imperial Guard, there is no question that I should participate in the Swordsman Meet. Then again, the top contenders in the Swordsman Meet should receive titles, right?”
Qin Jin laughed, “Of course. The Swordsman Meet is held every three years and is the main recruitment channel for commanders for the empire. The top eight will all be named thousand man commanders, the top three will have unlimited futures, and the person in first…..will obtain the Golden Dragon Seal!”
After saying this, Qin Jin stood up and picked up a precious box from the golden cabinet behind him. Opening the box, he took out a golden dragon shaped seal and said with a smile, “This is the Golden Dragon Seal. Having the Golden Dragon Seal allows one to recruit an army of ten thousand from everyone in the empire. Ah Yu, you must steal away first place…..”
“Un?”
Lin Mu Yu was a bit confused as he said, “Big brothers Feng Ji Xing and Qin Lei are also participating in the Swordsman Meet and there are many other experts, I’m afraid it won’t be that easy to take first place. Royal father…..what do you mean when you say you want me to take first place?”
Qin Jin revealed a faint smile, “Don’t ask too much, just try to take first place. In short, you mustn’t let Zeng Fang, Yuwen Lian, Ling Feng, and the others steal the Golden Dragon Seal. Ah Yu, if you, Feng Ji Xing, or Qin Lei take the Golden Dragon Seal, those ten thousand soldiers will be in royal father’s hands. Otherwise…..”
Lin Mu Yu seemed to understand something as he narrowed his eyes and said, “Whoever holds the Golden Dragon Seal can give a ten thousand men army to royal father, is that right?”
“Smart.”
Qin Jin smiled, “Ah Yu, it’s late. Head back early and rest.”
“Un, many thanks royal father.”
“There are many dishes here, do you want to take some back?”
Thinking of Wei Chou and the others still waiting outside, Lin Mu Yu nodded, “Un, thank you royal father!”