Qing Yu, hidden in the shadows, twitched the corner of his mouth.
His princess was truly fierce!
Only their princess would dare to appraise their prince like that.
If it were anyone else, the grass on their grave would likely be waist-high.
The four elders’ faces turned red once more.
Was it really appropriate to evaluate a man in such a manner?
Ye Ling Yuan’s expression darkened.
With a casual wave of his hand, the four elders were swept out of the reception hall.
Simultaneously, a barrier instantly formed, isolating the entire reception hall.
By the time Zi Lin Ling reacted, only she and Ye Ling Yuan remained in the hall.
Moreover, she found herself pinned to Ye Ling Yuan’s lap.
Ye Ling Yuan’s voice, laced with a smile, echoed.
“Lin’er is truly mischievous. However, whether this king is capable or not, we’ll know if we try!”
His seductive tone clearly carried a hint of threat.
A trace of panic flickered across Zi Lin Ling’s face.
She attempted to wriggle free from the prince’s embrace, only to discover the restraining force was unbreakable.
She forced a smile and said, “That…uh…that’s not necessary to try. Didn’t I just say, you’re not only useful, but extremely useful.”
Though she said this, she inwardly grumbled, “What is this Ye Ling Yuan going crazy about? Is it wrong to praise him?”
Little did she know, words like “capable or not” and “useful or not” should absolutely never be used in reference to a man.
These words implied that a man’s abilities were being questioned.
Therefore, upon hearing her words, Ye Ling Yuan’s face darkened further.
He sneered, “It seems Lin’er is indeed very mischievous. If that’s the case, then…”
*Slap!*
A palm landed just before Zi Lin Ling’s shapely behind.
There was no pain, but the tingling sensation sent a jolt through her, making her leap out of Ye Ling Yuan’s grasp as if electrocuted.
Zi Lin Ling, flushed with embarrassment and anger, exclaimed, “Ye Ling Yuan, you scoundrel, what are you going crazy about!”
Ye Ling Yuan smirked.
What else could he do when Zi Lin Ling’s words were so infuriating?
He, a dignified prince, had his capabilities questioned.
Of course, he hadn't put much force into that slap; he simply couldn't bear to.
He waved his hand again, pulling Zi Lin Ling back into his arms, and threatened, “Considering your young age, this is a minor correction. If you dare to doubt this king’s abilities again, this king won’t hesitate to act like a beast.” Su Dan Novel Network
Although he said this, he was merely trying to scare Zi Lin Ling.
“From now on, you are forbidden from using words like ‘capable or not’ or ‘useful or not’ on this king, or this king will prove it to you.”
Zi Lin Ling, half-understanding, rolled her eyes.
After delivering his threat, Ye Ling Yuan pecked Zi Lin Ling’s red lips fiercely, then released her with a lingering touch.
Zi Lin Ling shot the prince a fierce glare and fled the reception hall.
So embarrassing!
It was utterly humiliating!
This was the first time in her life she had been spanked… her backside, though it didn’t hurt, was so mortifying!
“Ye Ling Yuan, you wait for me!”
The woman gritted her teeth, yet she fled faster than a rabbit.
The barrier in the reception hall vanished, and along with it, so did the prince.
The crucial point was, no one knew how the prince had disappeared.
This was because the prince never took the conventional route… or rather, he never took the "proper" path.
Days turned into weeks, and Zi Lin Ling found herself entangled in the trivial matters of the Zi family, unable to extricate herself.
Consequently, the plan to “visit” Hundred Flowers Palace was shelved.
Of course, this had little impact on Hundred Flowers Palace.
This was because Hundred Flowers Palace had announced its closure.
Yes, after the deaths of many who had planned to leave, Hundred Flowers Palace was forced to declare its closure.
In reality, whether they closed or not, the outcome would have been the same, but closing the gates undoubtedly preserved the last shred of dignity for Hundred Flowers Palace.
Those within Hundred Flowers Palace were furious with Zi Lin Ling, but they were helpless.
They couldn’t even leave the premises, let alone seek trouble with the Zi family.
Naturally, the higher-ups of Hundred Flowers Palace were aware of the冥王殿下’s (Underworld King's) decree: Hundred Flowers Palace was to allow entry but not exit.
Yet, they remained powerless. This was because Hundred Flowers Palace’s strongest combatant—the Supreme Palace Master Xie Lu—had forcefully attempted to break out.
However, within ten breaths of time, she was thrown back, severely injured.
The critical part was, she didn't even know who had attacked her.
For a peak Saint King realm expert to be so heavily injured in less than ten breaths indicated the terrifying power of the assailant.
The one who had severely injured Xie Lu was, of course, Ye Ling Yuan.
Xie Lu had no idea that during the ten breaths Ye Ling Yuan took to injure her, he had spent nine and a half of them simply traveling.
Hundred Flowers Palace had truly fallen this time.
If not for the intention of leaving Hundred Flowers Palace for Zi Lin Ling to personally deal with, Ye Ling Yuan would have long since reduced it to ashes.
In the cultivation world, even a ripple without wind can cause a stir, let alone something with tangible clues.
Thus, the news of Hundred Flowers Palace’s closure spread in a multitude of fantastical ways.
Some said that the Palace Master Lian Hua and Palace Master Sheng Hua of Hundred Flowers Palace had angered a powerful figure behind the Zi family patriarch, nearly being annihilated by that formidable individual.
Others claimed that Hundred Flowers Palace's Supreme Palace Master had offended a major power within the empire, which had then blockaded the palace, allowing entry but not exit.
Still others asserted that Hundred Flowers Palace, in its attempt to seize something that did not belong to it, had incurred the wrath of the other three great powers, leading to its Supreme Palace Master Xie Lu being severely wounded by a combined assault from the ancient powerhouses of the other three factions, leaving her life hanging by a thread.
And some even said…
Regardless of the myriad of speculations, they all pointed to the ultimate fate of Hundred Flowers Palace: Hundred Flowers Palace was doomed! It would be removed from the ranks of the four great powers!
However, these people were unaware that Hundred Flowers Palace would not only be removed from the four great powers but also from the cultivation world entirely.
Of course, these were matters for later.
For now, Zi Lin Ling, the culprit… or rather, the person involved, was coldly watching Zi Wen Chang, who was kneeling on the ground.
Logically, Zi Wen Chang had already been expelled from the Zi family and was no longer under their jurisdiction.
However, within the month Zi Lin Ling had taken over the Zi family, she not only discovered that the family’s treasure vault was nearly empty but also that their businesses abroad were all operating at a loss.
Furthermore, the Zi family was heavily indebted to five of the other seven prominent clans, excluding the Bai and Yang families.
Yet, at this precise moment, Zi Wen Chang had, at a considerable cost, purchased an unparalleled Muscle-Forming Pill from the Water Moon Auction House.
This "considerable cost" was not a small sum.
According to rumors, Zi Wen Chang had spent a staggering fifty billion taels of silver.
Although the Zi family was a cultivation family, most of their business transactions relied on silver.
Once this silver reached the Zi family’s coffers, they would then exchange it for spirit stones through imperial channels to supply the family members’ cultivation needs.
The imperial family was willing to conduct such exchanges because ordinary citizens used silver.
The exchange rate between silver and low-grade spirit stones was one to ten thousand.
In other words, ten thousand taels of silver could be exchanged for one low-grade spirit stone.