Chapter 399: Invitation from the General's Mansion!

After thorough discussion, Ling Feng and Yan Cangtian decided to refine two kinds of medicinal pills using the Poison Fruit of Ten Thousand Evil. One pill would help Yan Cangtian ascend to the rank of Human Emperor, and the other would aid Ling Feng in unlocking more meridian gates.

These two medicinal pills were the Divine-Will Nine-Transformations Pill and the Meridian-Breaking Golden Pill, respectively.

With these pills, Ling Feng and Yan Cangtian could make significant progress in their cultivation in a short amount of time.

However, refining these pills required not only the Poison Fruit of Ten Thousand Evil but also several other rare alchemical ingredients. Given Yan Cangtian's resources, gathering these materials would take some time but was not impossible.

After discussing the refining process, Yan Cangtian hurriedly left Tianwei Academy to retrieve the pill formula for the Demon-Transforming Pill from the Alchemist Guild.

Ling Feng, meanwhile, decided not to rush to the Ascendant Eagle General's mansion but instead returned to Tianshu East Court to rest for a day. He planned to visit the General's mansion the following day.

According to Tianwei Academy's rules, students were allowed a three-day rest period after completing a mission.

These three days should be enough for Ling Feng to retrieve the crystal core of the thousand-year-old demonic shen from the Ascendant Eagle General's mansion. If everything went smoothly, he might even successfully refine the Demon-Transforming Pill.

With both Ling Feng and Yan Cangtian, two of the empire's top alchemists, refining the Demon-Transforming Pill should be a straightforward task.

...

Leaving the medicinal herb garden, Ling Feng returned to the yellow-tier student living quarters. There, he noticed a group of armored soldiers waiting outside Tianshu East Court. The officer in charge stood with his hands behind his back at the entrance, as if he were expecting someone.

The presence of these soldiers stirred up a lot of chatter among the nearby yellow-tier students.

"This is the umpteenth time! Goodness, every few days they show up. Quite a spectacle!"

"I heard that General Deng from the Ascendant Eagle General's Mansion sent these guys to invite Chief Ling Feng back. Since Jiang Xiaofan, who went on the demon-slaying mission with Chief Ling, is back, these soldiers must be waiting for Chief Ling's return."

"What's this all about?"

"I heard from Ouyang Jing in Tianshu East Court that General Deng invited Chief Ling to visit. I think the old general admires Chief Ling's talents. And their young lady is at a marriageable age. Could it be that they want to arrange a betrothal?"

"A betrothal? My goodness! If Chief Ling marries into the Ascendant Eagle General's family, his future would be incredibly bright!"

Hearing these conversations, Ling Feng couldn't help but chuckle wryly.

A betrothal? The young lady at the general's mansion is more likely plotting to kill me than marry me.

As Ling Feng approached, the yellow-tier students stopped their gossip and greeted him obsequiously.

"

Ah,

Chief Ling is back!"

"Chief Ling, everyone has missed you these days!"

"Chief Ling, is it true you're going to be the general's son-in-law?"

"..."

Ling Feng could only smile helplessly as he pushed through the crowd, finally making his way into Tianshu East Court. There, the usual gang from Tianshu East Court gathered around him.

"Big Brother! It's only been a day, but it feels like ages. I missed you so much!"

Ouyang Jing lunged forward with open arms, but Ling Feng sidestepped him with a frown. "Stop trying to disgust people!"

"

Hehe.

" Ouyang Jing rubbed the back of his head and grinned. "Big Brother, what's really going on with you and the Ascendant Eagle General's Mansion? Commander Song has been coming to see you every two days for the past couple of weeks. Are you really involved with the general's daughter? When did this start?"

"

Hehe.

Tell us, Brother Feng!" Feng Mo and the others joined in, eager for the juicy details.

Ling Feng's forehead creased with frustration as he shot a glare at them. "If you don't know, stop spreading rumors!" At that moment, the lead officer of the waiting group stepped forward, saluted Ling Feng, and spoke with a serious expression, "Are you Mr. Ling Feng? I am Song Yi, here under orders from General Deng to escort you to the general's mansion for a meeting."

"General Deng wants to see me?" Ling Feng was momentarily taken aback. He had been thinking about finding an excuse to visit General Deng, but he hadn't expected that General Deng would have already been sending people to look for him for over half a month.

What could this be about?

Even with his sharp mind, Ling Feng couldn't guess General Deng's intentions.

"Yes, that's correct," Commander Song nodded. "General Deng instructed that there should be no pressure on you. You can come whenever it's convenient or when you feel ready. Whenever you're prepared to depart, I will escort you to the general's mansion."

"

Oh?

" Ling Feng touched his nose thoughtfully but didn't hesitate long before agreeing. "General Deng is a senior figure. Since he has extended an invitation, it would be inappropriate for me not to visit. Commander Song, please lead the way. I can go with you now."

"Thank you, Mr. Ling." Commander Song bowed slightly and made a "please" gesture, saying respectfully, "Please follow me. I have a carriage ready. You can rest in the carriage, and we will arrive shortly."

"

Oh?

" Ling Feng's lips curled into a slight smile. It seemed like General Deng was quite eager to meet him, likely because he needed something. If that were the case, obtaining the crystal core of the demonic shen from the general's mansion shouldn't be difficult.

...

The general's carriage was indeed luxurious. It wasn't pulled by ordinary horses but by two third-tier demonic beasts, blue-eyes white tigers.

These beasts made the journey faster, smoother, and demonstrated great endurance. Having white tigers pull the carriage showcased the prestige and honor of the general's mansion.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Before long, the carriage came to a stop. Commander Song opened the curtain and respectfully said to Ling Feng, "Mr. Ling, we have arrived at the general's mansion. Please follow me to meet General Deng."

"Very well." Ling Feng stepped down from the carriage and looked up at the mansion's grand entrance. As expected from one of the four great generals of the empire, the entrance was guarded by two life-sized stone qilins[1]. They were incredibly lifelike and looked almost like divine beasts. It was as if they were guarding the fortune of the General's Mansion.

Above the large red door hung a golden plaque with the words "Ascendant Eagle" inscribed on it in a powerful, flowing script. The aura it exuded was one of overwhelming might, as if the words themselves could sweep away all opposition. The person who wrote those words must be a martial arts grandmaster.

"This golden plaque was bestowed by His Majesty, the Emperor, in recognition of General Deng's countless achievements in defending the empire." Commander Song's eyes shone with immense respect as he spoke, almost to himself. "Since he joined the army, General Deng has fought in hundreds of battles, against both the demon race and neighboring countries. He has always led from the front, covered in blood on the battlefield! General Deng is the person I respect most!"

Ling Feng touched his nose again, recalling the image of the dignified yet serene General Deng. He couldn't help but feel a growing sense of respect as well.

As the large red doors slowly opened, Commander Song collected his thoughts and bowed once more to Ling Feng. "Mr. Ling, please follow me."

1. Qilin (pronounced "Chillin") is a legendary hooved chimerical creature that appears in Chinese mythology. Appearance: half-dragon, half-horse. ☜