“Your majesty crown prince.”

Lin Xi bowed slightly in respect.

“There is no need for too much ceremony, you can just treat me as the same Chen Mu you met in front of the freshman dormitory.” Changsun Wujiang spoke with great difficulty, his words a bit slow, but everyone could hear the warmth and calmness contained within. To be able to remain this calm in this type of situation made Lin Xi’s heart couldn’t help but produce a bit of admiration.

However, since he already knew the other party’s identity, regardless, Lin Xi couldn’t treat the other party like a bumpkin like himself. That was why when he heard this, Lin Xi only nodded slightly, not saying too much.

“Not even two Sacred Experts could stop him for a moment… Central Continent always said Great General Wenren was strong, but none of us expected him to actually be strong to this extent.” Because Lin Xi didn’t feel much reverence for this world’s nobility or even imperial power to begin with, right now, he didn’t show any especially humble stance. When he saw that Lin Xi was like this, Changsun Wujiang felt like his words were a bit useful, so he revealed an even warmer smile, saying this with a light sigh. Then, he asked, “How is Great General Wenren’s current condition?”

Lin Xi quietly said, “He was injured by Professor An’s poison, forced to withdraw. His current whereabouts are unclear.”

Changsun Wujiang slowly nodded. With a sigh, he said, “Turns out it was you all and Professor An who stopped him, saved this life of mine.”

Lin Xi said, “It was Professor An’s methods. When facing someone like Wenren Cangyue, we can’t do anything to help.”

Changsun Wujiang nodded. He wanted to say something, but an expression of pain immediately appeared on his face, his waxen yellow forehead clearly squeezing out several droplets of sweat.

“Your majesty… your injuries aren’t light, please speak as little as possible.” Lin Xi knew the Changsun Wujiang’s inner organs were covered in fine wounds from Wenren Cangyue’s attack. Now that he recovered his consciousness, the pain brought by these injuries was definitely extremely unbearable. When he saw Changsun Wujiang like this, he couldn’t help but sincerely say this in reminder.

However, Changsun Wujiang instead shook his head, struggling to produce a hint of a smile with difficulty. “My injuries are something I naturally understand better than you all… I definitely won’t die just because I speak a few more words, or live for sure if I speak a bit less… if I die just like this, without saying some of the things I want to say, then that is true suffering.”

Lin Xi nodded, quietly saying, “As long as things go smoothly, your majesty won’t die.”

Changsun Wujiang suppressed the intense pain inside that felt like he was being eaten alive by countless ants. With a calm voice, he asked, “Where are we headed? Where are we right now?”

“We are headed for Lost Forest, there is someone from the academy’s Medicine Department there who has medicines that can stop your injuries from worsening.” Lin Xi did his best to explain as simply as possible. “We are currently in the hilly region between Heaven’s Lens Lake and Jadefall East Outskirts. By making a detour here, we will use up a bit more time, but the chances of encountering Wenren Cangyue will be a bit less, so I feel like this path is comparatively a bit safer.”

“Safer?” Changsun Wujiang began to laugh. “I don’t think anyone in Jadefall City has ever called Heaven’s Lens Lakeside safe… for the sake of saving me, all of you actually dare travel in this type of place.”

…

Because they didn’t have any time to waste, this fleet continued to move through Heaven’s Lens lakeside’s pitch-black forest.

In reality, every single sentence spoken by Changsun Wujiang was done through unimaginable pain. However, from the moment he first saw Lin Xi in front of Self Defense Freshman Dormitory, he felt like Lin Xi was different from everyone else, naturally feeling close to Lin XI. Moreover, at this time, he felt like Lin Xi would definitely become a talent who would raise Yunqin into the heavens. Even when Lin Xi left the academy, he also paid attention to his deeds from time to time. Everything he did made him feel happy… Because they were both youngsters, he even felt a bit fired up because of the things Lin Xi did, only feeling a bit of regret that he couldn’t see these things himself or be the one who did these things in his place. In his eyes, Lin Xi was long no longer just an outstanding fellow student, but rather a close friend who he admired.

He also knew that his father the emperor didn’t have a good impression of Lin Xi, this becoming something that made him worry. He thought that perhaps he could alleviate the relationship between his father the emperor and Lin Xi, allow Lin Xi to truly grow up into a friend he could completely trust, one of Yunqin Empire’s future pillars.

That was why on the journey into Jadefall City, he told Du Zhanye that he was really looking forward to meeting Lin Xi again.

Now, they truly met again under this type of situation. When he saw how the other party already grew up, Changsun Wujiang mysteriously felt even closer to him. Lin Xi’s every word and action, in his eyes, made him feel extremely comfortable.

This was a feeling of kindred spirits.

Sometimes, whether or not one could become friends was completely unrelated to time.

That was why even though he had to endure unimaginable pain, he would rather preserve his clearheadedness, not allow himself to go unconscious again and instead continue chatting with Lin Xi.

“Actually, I’ve always been looking forward to our meeting again… reality has proven that my first impression of you back then wasn’t wrong. However, even though I believed you had the qualities to become a priest, I truly never expected a Self Defense Department student could actually become a Spiritual Sacrifice Priest.” He looked at Lin Xi’s side profile, looking at Lin Xi who walked next to him, slowly saying this.

Lin Xi was a bit shocked. Even though he never viewed himself too low, to the extent where he even had a bit of natural pride, he indeed never thought he would occupy such an important position in the heart of the future Yunqin emperor. When he heard this, he spoke rare words of humility. “Your majesty, I really do not deserve that much praise.”

“Is that so?”

Changsun Wujiang chuckled with difficulty, saying seriously, “Don’t tell me you haven’t considered the consequences of escorting me like this… You are a Windstalker the academy values greatly, so you have access to things normal cultivators do not have access to, you should also have some understanding regarding my father the emperor’s temperament. The position I hold in his heart is extremely important, if something happens to me, I really don’t know how he will act. However, you still dare take on this type of responsibility, take such a great risk to escort me.”

“That is because there are people above me.” Lin Xi didn’t want the mood to become too heavy or stifling, so with a chuckle, he said, “The academy will protect us in the end… even if something really happens to you, the academy can at least prevent us from losing our lives too, at least protect our safety.”

“Is that so?” Changsun Wujiang shook his head. He looked at Lin Xi as if he could see through his heart, and then he gave Gao Yanan, Bian Linghan and the others a look. “If you didn’t have the backing of a power like the academy, if something unexpected happened to these people, would you save them like this?”

Lin Xi laughed. This question didn’t need a reply.

“That is why there is no need to explain too much. Gold is gold.” Changsun Wujiang looked at the smiling Lin Xi and said, “You even dare take on the responsibility of something like escorting me, in the future, what wouldn’t you dare undertake?”

Lin Xi could hear some of the deeper meanings behind what Changsun Wujiang was saying. He quietly said, “Your majesty, please don’t have too many expectations of me… I am just an extremely undisciplined person.”

“We are still young, there is indeed no need to consider things that are too far off. What I am talking to you about is also the future.” Changsun Wujiang also chuckled, and then said seriously with a bit of difficulty, “If some of my father’s attitudes he displayed towards you have made you feel injustice, I will apologize in his place. If I do not die in Jadefall City, I can promise that even if you suffered some wrongs, I will definitely provide you with sufficient compensation in the future.”

Lin Xi immediately became a bit moved, his expression solemn.

He already understood extremely well what kind of world this was and how the people respected monarchical power. For Changsun Wujiang to say these words, moreover him being able to hear the sincerity behind them, this made him feel deep veneration for Changsun Wujiang.

“Could it be that this is the so-called generation skipping inheritance?”

Lin Xi immediately couldn’t help but think of Yunqin’s late emperor.

“Do these sound like the last words of the dying?” Changsun Wujiang laughed.

Lin Xi said, “They do.”

“Then let’s just treat them as such…” Changsun Wujiang chuckled and then said this while looking at Lin Xi.

After saying this, he seemed a bit tired, closing his eyes, wishing to rest for a bit. However, after closing his eyes, his sleep once again became a deep coma.

“They are all one family, how can the difference be this great?”

Lin Xi looked at Changsun Wujiang who went unconscious again. He recalled Central Continent Imperial City’s Emperor, and then couldn’t help but say this quietly to Gao Yanan at his side.

“Your opinion of him is good, but what if I told you… what if he wanted to fight with you over the Grand Secretary’s daughter? What would you do?” Gao Yanan whose thoughts were always conflicted couldn’t help but quietly say this by Lin Xi’s ears.

Her words were like the fragrance of deep orchids. Lin Xi only felt his ears become a bit warmer, and then without even taking the time to think, he said, “Of course that won’t do… I will beat up my good friend into a pig head, and then at most keep him company for a night of drinking in apology.”

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Gao Yanan’s mood immediately mysteriously loosened. She gave Lin Xi a glare. “You’re the pig head.” However, the corners of her lips instead curled upwards, full of happiness.