Su Xi saw the person who walked in. They were unremarkable, lacking the appearance of a protagonist, clearly just a passerby. So she asked, "Who are you?"
If she remembered correctly, she had never met this person before.
She couldn't figure out what this person's purpose was for appearing before her.
After all, this person was well-dressed. Although in the attire of a servant, they carried a noble aura. Clearly, not an ordinary servant, but an extraordinary one.
The person looked at Su Xi, not with the usual arrogance shown to others, but with some humility in their tone. Lowering their stance, they said, "Young Master, the Third Prince sent me to inform you that the hunt is about to begin and to ask you to come over now."
"Understood," Su Xi nodded, then turned and, with Ouyang Chu Ge, headed towards Li Zhi's location.
Since there was no need to overthink it, he knew why Li Zhi was looking for him.
At this point, he must have been looking for him to plan their next steps.
After all, with Pang Dahai dead, Li Zhi had no one left to help him devise plans.
Upon arriving at the Third Prince's manor, several people were already in the room.
Lin Qing today had reverted to his previous unapproachable demeanor, exuding a sense of distance. As Su Xi entered, he didn't even glance at her.
To match Lin Qing's attitude, Su Xi deliberately walked up to him and passed gas.
Although the harm was minimal, the insult was profound.
After doing this, Su Xi, without waiting for Lin Qing's reaction, walked directly to Li Zhi, greeted him, and stood beside him.
Although Lin Qing was enraged, with Li Zhi present, he couldn't do anything.
He could only use his eyes, intending to kill Su Xi with a glare.
Unfortunately, Su Xi completely ignored Lin Qing's gaze and busied herself with her own affairs.
Seeing the scene, Li Zhi coughed to cover his smile and, to avoid unnecessary trouble, quickly changed the subject, "Now that everyone is here, there's something about the secret realm that I want to tell you in advance."
Hearing Li Zhi's words, everyone perked up, awaiting further details.
This was their first time entering a secret realm, so they were unaware of many circumstances. Only by understanding the situation could they find what they desired.
Li Zhi knew the expressions on the faces of those around him and said, "All of you present are my helpers for this expedition, and I will be relying on you. I know none of you have been to a secret realm before, and you don't know many of the rules. I will now explain the situation."
"This secret realm was recently discovered by our Great Xuan Empire, a new place no one has entered before. No one knows what's inside. However, according to whispers, the treasures within are definitely not to be underestimated."
"This time, each prince can send ten people to participate. Since you are the people I have selected, there is something I must make clear to you in advance."
"Anything you find within, any opportunities that arise, are yours to claim."
"I have only one requirement: to secure a top three position in this hunt. Everyone must give their all to help me gain a large number of points."
"If I achieve a good ranking, I will certainly reward you handsomely."
Hearing Li Zhi's words, Lin Qing patted his chest and promised, "Don't worry, I guarantee I can accomplish this."
The others, hearing Lin Qing, wore expressions of suppressed anger and resignation.
Although they were very unconvinced now, they were also helpless. What Lin Qing said was true.
While they possessed some strength, superior to those outside, they were unable to defeat Lin Qing.
Before Li Zhi even arrived, they had wanted to showcase their abilities, but without exception, all were defeated by Lin Qing. Thus, despite their deep dissatisfaction, they could say nothing.
Li Zhi praised Lin Qing, "Good, you are absolutely right. Whether we achieve a good ranking this time will depend on you."
Lin Qing looked at Li Zhi and suddenly said, "Getting a good ranking is not a problem, but I have one request."
"What is it?" Li Zhi looked at Lin Qing, awaiting his reply.
This was a crucial moment for him to gain recognition, so he absolutely couldn't afford to falter.
If Lin Qing's request was not too excessive, Li Zhi would certainly not refuse.
Lin Qing smiled and said, "Now, I need the Third Prince to provide me with two stalks of Spirit-Phantasm Grass."
"Two stalks of Spirit-Phantasm Grass?" Hearing Su Xi's words, Li Zhi felt his entire being falter.
This Spirit-Phantasm Grass was incredibly precious, not something ordinary. Even the entire Great Xuan Empire might not possess two stalks, yet Lin Qing was asking for two right away.
This was simply making things difficult for him.
Was this request too high?
"Can we negotiate? Perhaps something else can be offered as a substitute?" Li Zhi looked at Lin Qing, hoping for some room to maneuver.
Spirit-Phantasm Grass was always highly valued. For him, an unfavored prince, obtaining two stalks at once was not impossible, but extremely difficult.
Hearing Li Zhi's words, Lin Qing immediately shook his head, his attitude firm. "No."
He needed the two stalks of Spirit-Phantasm Grass for other matters. If he couldn't get them, he had no interest in doing anything else. Without a promise, he couldn't undertake other tasks.
Seeing Lin Qing's insistence, Li Zhi's expression turned grim.
At this juncture, if Lin Qing refused to participate, he wouldn't be able to find anyone to help him in such a short time.
After all, the secret realm concerned his future prospects and could not be taken lightly.
Therefore, despite his internal displeasure, he could only grit his teeth and agree, "Alright, I promise you. Once you have completed the task, I will definitely give you the Spirit-Phantasm Grass."
Seeing Li Zhi's agreement, Lin Qing readily accepted, "In that case, I will naturally agree to help you achieve a good ranking."
In front of so many people, he wasn't worried about Li Zhi going back on his word.
"Then I thank you," Li Zhi looked at Lin Qing, a smile appearing on his face.
With everyone having discussed the matter, Li Zhi didn't want to waste any more time and said, "Time is almost up, let's depart."
The group had no objections and followed him to the royal hunting grounds.
The royal hunting grounds were already crowded, bustling with activity. Various officials craned their necks, eager to know which prince would claim the top spot in the hunt.
After all, the methods of each prince differed greatly.
The sooner one became familiar with these princes' ways, the earlier one could prepare.
Otherwise, by the time these individuals ascended to power, it would be too late, and opportunities would have passed. Therefore, immediate plans were necessary, and early connections had to be established.
As Su Xi and the others followed Li Zhi to the edge of the hunting grounds, they suddenly spotted the Eighth Prince waiting at the entrance with his entourage.
Seeing Li Zhi approach, he walked up with a smile and exchanged pleasantries, "Third Brother has brought so many experts today; you must surely achieve good results."
Li Zhi saw Li Ge before him, then glanced at the group behind him, and sneered, "Eighth Brother, you are too humble. Last time you achieved a top three finish, and yet you speak to me like this today."
Li Ge smiled, waved his hand, and said with feigned modesty, "Last year was just good luck. It won't be the same this year. After all, those who participated last time cannot join again. I am quite worried, and I can't find anyone."
Li Zhi didn't believe a single word of Li Ge's statement.
Li Ge was the most untrustworthy person, incapable of speaking the truth.
His current pretense before him was merely a tactic to probe his capabilities.
Seeing this, Li Zhi lost interest in further conversation and asked, "What is it you want?"
At this moment, he didn't believe Li Ge was here to spout meaningless words.
Li Ge, seeing the impatience on Li Zhi's face, didn't press further. Instead, he said, "We are about to enter this unknown secret realm, and I was hoping to team up with you. It would be good to have mutual support."
Hearing Li Ge's words, a flicker of confusion crossed Li Zhi's face.
While his own strength was not weak, it wasn't outstanding. Li Ge, a traditional powerhouse, had no reason to team up with him.
As he pondered this doubt, he considered a possibility and couldn't help but ask, "Are you doing this because you've learned some inside information?"
After all, Li Ge possessed a wealth of intelligence and even had the aid of the Grand Tutor.
So, if he had somehow obtained some information, it wouldn't be strange.
Li Ge looked at Li Zhi and smiled, "I haven't heard any inside information. I just know that this competition is very perilous, and one wrong step could cost one's life."
There was one sentence he didn't voice: this competition was also the occasion to determine the crown prince.
Therefore, those who were unqualified had to be eliminated.
Only by eliminating the unqualified could resources be concentrated on those who needed nurturing. Without those who would obstruct, the remaining issues would become much easier to handle.
After careful consideration, Li Zhi nodded, "Very well. Then I will team up with Eighth Brother. I hope we can achieve good results."
Li Zhi knew very well that Li Ge was currently seeing him as weak and intending to use him as cannon fodder. As soon as there was a benefit, he would be cast aside.
However, Li Zhi still chose to agree, primarily because he was well aware of Li Ge's intentions. Moreover, his greatest trump card this time was Lin Qing.
As the powerhouse, others were unaware of Lin Qing's true strength.
Thus, when intelligence proved flawed, it would be his time to play the role of the wolf in sheep's clothing.
Having received Li Zhi's consent, Li Ge's face lit up with an indescribable smile.
Excellent. With Li Zhi's agreement, half of his plan was now complete.