Listening to the Emperor's roar, Xu Luo flinched. He was about to obey and get lost when someone came to make a report.
"The Eldest Prince, Xu Jie, Sui Yan, and Liu Fengā¦ they are kneeling outside the Imperial Palace, wishing to plead for Xu Luo!"
"Have them get in here!" Huangfu Haoran said irritably.
Soon after, the gentle and refined Eldest Prince, the dark-skinned Xu Jie, the expressionless Sui Yan, and the sly-looking fatty, Liu Feng, walked into the Golden Hall from outside.
They advanced together and paid their respects to the Emperor.
"I hear you've come to plead for Xu Luo?" the Emperor asked coolly, his face calm as he looked down at the four young men.
Xu Luo frantically signaled to Huangfu Chongzhi and the others with his eyes. 'My dear brothers,' he thought, 'this matter is already settled! Don't stir up any more trouble.'
When Huangfu Chongzhi and the others heard that Xu Luo had returned to the Imperial Capital because news of his rampage at the Wei Family's estate had spread, the brothers immediately met up. They all agreed: Xu Luo was in grave danger this time!
'What is the Royal Family's greatest taboo?'
'Not overwhelming achievements!'
'It's leveraging those achievements to do whatever you want!'
The four of them immediately decided that no matter what, they had to protect Xu Luo. They absolutely could not let anything happen to him.
Who would have thought that the entire Imperial Capital would be on lockdown because of Xu Luo's rampage at the Wei Family estate? The Imperial Palace, in particular, was sealed off by the Royal Guard. If not for their special status, they never would have been able to get in.
Even so, it had taken a great deal of effort just to get an audience with His Majesty.
Huangfu Chongzhi and the others had been friends with Xu Luo for years. One look at him winking and making faces, and they knew he was fine.
But since they were already here, if they couldn't provide a proper reason for their visit, the Emperor probably wouldn't let them off easily.
"Replying to Father, we are indeed here to plead for Xu Luo," Huangfu Chongzhi said with a nod, his answer seemingly straightforward.
"Hmph. You still dare to plead for him? Do you have any idea what crime he has committed? Rushing here to intercede, aren't you afraid of getting yourselves implicated? When that happens, even you, a Prince, will not be shown mercy by me!" the Emperor said, his face stern.
With a gentle expression, Huangfu Chongzhi replied, "Your son is willing to give up all his titles and official posts in exchange for Xu Luo's safety. As for his crimeā¦ your son does not care about that."
"Hm?" The Emperor gave his eldest son a surprised look, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You don't care? What if the crime he committedā¦ was an unpardonable one? What if, in the eyes of the world, he is a demonā¦ would you still protect him?"
Huangfu Chongzhi nodded earnestly. "Your son trusts his brother. He would never do such a thing. Even if he did kill someone, the one he killed must have been the demon you speak of, Father. Therefore, no matter what, your son will stand with him."
"And you all feel the same?" the Emperor asked, looking at Xu Jie, Sui Yan, and Liu Feng. A peculiar light flashed in his eyes, vanishing so quickly that no one saw it.
"That's right. We do. The Eldest Prince's words represent us completely," they said in unison.
"Heh, such deep brotherly love. Very well. I shall grant your wish. In exchange for Xu Luo's safety, you will give up your official posts and titles. I have already sent him off to his fiefdom. You can all get lost and go keep him company!" the Emperor declared.
"Thank you for your grace, Father!" Huangfu Chongzhi said, his face alight with joy.
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!" Xu Jie, Sui Yan, and Liu Feng were also overjoyed. It was as if being stripped of their posts and titles was like shedding a massive burden; they all let out long sighs of relief.
The court ministers on either side watched, each thinking that the world was truly a bizarre place. 'How could such people exist? And there's more than one of them?'
Then, they watched the five young men's retreating figures leave the Golden Hall, their eyes filled with complex emotions.
Once upon a time, they too had such loyal friends and brothers they could bare their souls to. But as they aged and rose through the official ranks, they found it difficult to care for and trust their friendships as they once had in their youth.
They were more willing to trust in their official positions!
In other words, they trusted only themselves!
As for friendsā¦ they either betrayed you or were betrayed by you. Who would dare to trust anyone?
The higher-ranking the minister, the more complicated their feelings became as they watched the bond between Xu Luo and his four brothers.
On the one hand, they scorned such foolish behavior. All the ministers had seen Xu Luo frantically signaling to his friends, so how could those young men have missed it? Yet they had deliberately ignored him, continuing to plead earnestly for Xu Luo until they lost their own ranks and titles and were banished to the fiefdom along with himā¦
And that was supposed to be satisfying?
Although the five of them certainly looked pleased with themselves, the ministers didn't believe it for a second.
On the other hand, deep down, they were incredibly envious of the bond between these five young men. To unhesitatingly cast aside fame and fortune for a brotherāit was both unbelievable and worthy of immense envy.
The Emperor, seated on the Dragon Throne, seemed to think of something and sighed softly. He glanced at the dazed Wei Feng standing to the side and said, "Shouldn't you be fetching an Imperial Physician for Prime Minister Wei? What are you standing around in a daze for?"
...
Outside the Imperial Palace, Xu Luo looked at Huangfu Chongzhi and the others with a helpless expression. "Big Brother, I can understand the others being impulsive, but why did you do it too? I don't believe you couldn't see that I was fineā¦"
"You all know my position within the Royal Family. Originally, no one paid me any mind, but after our Martial Soul Squad's performance in the Southern region, I've started to attract some attention andā¦ suspicion." A bitter smile appeared on Huangfu Chongzhi's face as he looked at Xu Luo. "And you all know my personality. I'd much rather be with my brothers, researching medicinal herbs and improving my alchemy skills. I have no desire for fame and fortune."
Xu Jie grinned and patted Xu Luo's shoulder. "My ambitions don't lie in court. Besides, if you don't care about fame and fortune, why should we?"
"I just want to be with Third Brother," Sui Yan said succinctly.
Liu Feng sidled over with a cheeky grin. "Third Brother, how was your trip to the sect? A real eye-opener, huh? The rest of us agreed a long time ago that we'd all cultivate diligently. No matter what, the five of us are a single unit! So if you get punished, of course we have to be there with you. Besides, is that stuff like fame and fortune really that important to us?"
The others all nodded in agreement.
Liu Feng continued, "Look at those ministers back in the Golden Hall. Any one of them is a big shot who can make the world tremble with a stomp of their foot, right? But they still live so cautiously. It's so damn boring! That's not the kind of life we want!"
Xu Luo was touched, but a wry smile appeared on his face. Looking at his brothers, he said, "No one knows what the future holds. Your family elders will never approve of this decision."
"Haha, you're wrong there! My dad told me to stick with you no matter what. As for being an official, I'm just not cut out for it!" Liu Feng chuckled.
"What about Lan Xin? Is she happy about this?" Xu Luo asked with a smile.
"That woman? Does she dare say a single word against what I want to do? If she pisses me offā¦" Little Fatty puffed out his chest, looking smug. He glanced into the distance, then suddenly froze. His face wilted like a frosted eggplant as he looked back at Xu Luo miserably. "Holy crap, Third Brotherā¦ my dude, you're too cruel!"
Not far away, a luxurious carriage was parked. A stunningly beautiful maiden in a blue skirt stood beside it, staring at Little Fatty. Her gazeā¦ looked exceptionally hostile.
"You damn fattyā¦ Get your ass over here!" the Blue-skirted Maiden yelled, one hand on her hip, the other pointing right at Little Fatty. "Are you trying to piss me off?!"
PFFT!
Xu Luo and his brothers felt completely flabbergasted.
How could a young woman who looked so poised and beautiful be so aggressive?
But without a shred of loyalty, the brothers all bolted, leaving Little Fatty to fend for himself. Liu Feng cursed them for their faithlessness, but ultimately could only trudge obediently over to the maiden.
Lan Xin's eyes were slightly red. She glared at Liu Feng, her cheeks puffed out in anger. "You damn fatty, you were saying? If I piss you off, what will you do?"
"Iā¦ Iā¦" The corner of Liu Feng's mouth twitched violently. He looked miserably at the backs of Xu Luo and the others as they fled for their lives.
"What would you do?" Lan Xin's slender, fair finger was practically touching Liu Feng's nose. "Tell me!"
Liu Feng shuddered. He quickly put on a placating smile, reached out, and grabbed Lan Xin's finger. Then, with a fawning grin, he said, "I'm preparing to marry you!"
"Ahā¦ Youā¦ Youā¦ Let goā¦" Lan Xin was completely stunned by the fatty's shameless audacity. Her face turned beet red, and she began to stammer, "W-We're in public! Youāhow can you say something like that!"
"Heheā¦" Little Fatty chuckled smugly. He knew that while Lan Xin seemed fierce, she was actually extremely traditional at heart. Sure enough, his pulling her finger and saying that one line had made her completely forget about giving him trouble.
Lan Xin's face flushed the color of cherry blossoms. She lowered her head, staring at the tips of her toes, and asked softly, "You damn fattyā¦ are you serious?"
Liu Feng rolled his eyes. "Of course I'm serious. I even gave you my family heirloomā¦"
"Thenā¦ when are youā¦ going to propose?" Lan Xin's head dipped even lower, her voice so soft that if not for the fatty's excellent hearing and sense of smell, he might not have heard her at all.
Little Fatty was crying a river of tears internally. 'I was wrong,' he thought. 'She may be traditional, but she's also terrifyingly aggressive! She's already asking for a proposal? Master Fatty's glorious youth hasn't even properly begun!'
"Wellā¦ Xin'Er, you saw what happened. I have no official post and no title right now. Going to your family to propose at a time like thisā¦ isn't it a littleā¦ inappropriate?"
"Why would it beā¦" Lan Xin blurted out, then immediately felt she was being too forward. She continued shyly, "Thenā¦ when do youā¦ want to propose?"
Her voice was gentle, but the fatty could feel a palpable killing intent radiating from it.
Any thought he had of stalling was instantly shattered. He put on his most sincere expression and declared magnanimously, "As long as the five of us brothers are together, achieving great things will be no problem at all! The moment I earn another title, I'll have my father send someone to your family to formally propose!"
"Really?" Lan Xin slowly raised her head, her eyes fixed on Liu Feng. "You damn fatty, remember your promise. I'll be waiting for you!"
With that, she turned and ran off.