Chapter 198 The Duke

After chatting for a while, Hao Ren got up to bid farewell, citing a prior engagement.

"Guardian, do you have an appointment?" Veronica asked curiously, "Have you already found acquaintances?"

"No, it's one of your nobles who invited me," Hao Ren explained. "He said he's from a family in the Chongshan Territory, named Wei Li. He said his family has connections with many ancient hermits and knows many secrets from the previous era. I'm going to try my luck meeting him. Sorry, I'm really not familiar with your nobility system, and even back then, I didn't worry about these things, so I didn't quite remember his title."

Veronica widened her eyes in surprise. "Earl Wei Li of the Kangde family from the Chongshan Territory? Wei Li Tirian Kangde? Oh, he's a very famous person, a prominent young noble in Taros, probably the youngest earl in the kingdom's history—although it's just a nominal title for now. But once he inherits all his property and accumulates some merits, he will definitely be a noble role model who will go down in history."

"He's that impressive?" Hao Ren was a little surprised. "I really didn't see it... I just thought he was pretty handsome."

"I didn't expect the people of the Holy Domain to judge people by their appearance," Ania laughed. "That young earl is indeed very famous. In fact, the two young people from the Kangde family are both extraordinary. Not only did they produce a genius female knight who obtained the golden title at a young age, but Earl Wei Li is also making great strides in politics. His experience leading troops to quell seven barbarian rebellions in the Northern Wilderness has impressed many military nobles with more seniority than him. To achieve this before the age of thirty, the kingdom will probably not encounter such a talented young man again in a hundred years."

"Troubled times produce heroes," Hao Ren said, using an Earth saying. "The situation in the world is precarious, and geniuses can only emerge at this time. But compared to the two young people from the Kangde family, the two princesses of Taros seem to be more famous—at least in terms of military exploits. Earl Wei Li only quelled the rebellions of a few mountain tribes within the kingdom, but Veronica has been fighting on the Chaos Border for many years."

Veronica blushed after hearing this praise. She smiled demurely, "Well, I am indeed better than him."

...Okay, it seems this straightforward princess didn't exactly restrain herself...

After a few more pleasantries, the two princesses got up and personally escorted Hao Ren outside. Just as they reached the end of the stone path in the small garden, a black carriage decorated with rose branches and dagger emblems suddenly turned from the main road: it seemed that a guest was arriving.

The carriage slowly stopped beside the stone path. A servant in a black uniform jumped out of the carriage and opened the door on one side of the carriage. Hao Ren happened to be passing by and couldn't help but stop when he saw the figure walking out of the carriage.

A tall, thin man stepped out of the carriage. His cheeks were gaunt, and his expression was gloomy, as if he was forever shrouded in a layer of frost. Beneath a pair of light gray eyebrows were a pair of sharp eyes like a hawk. Hao Ren was very familiar with these eyes.

When he first arrived in Bai Cheng, he had been stared at by these eyes filled with hostility.

At this moment, Ania, who was standing beside him, suddenly spoke, interrupting Hao Ren's thoughts: "Uncle Luen, why are you here?"

Luen? Is this the Grand Duke Luen? Was it his alchemist who cured the prince and princess's "cursed disease" with magic potions?

Hao Ren was a little surprised and subconsciously asked, "You're Grand Duke Luen?"

Grand Duke Luen didn't show any unusual emotions when he saw Hao Ren this time. He just maintained his usual poker face, his expression as unchanging as if it were frozen. He first bowed slightly to the two princesses and Prince Andrew, who was hiding at the back, and finally looked at Hao Ren, "Guardian, I'm glad to see you. We should have met at the banquet yesterday, right?"

"We met when the airship landed on the first day," Hao Ren also hid his emotions, but with a smile, "It's just that I've never been good at remembering people's names, please forgive me."

"I heard that you are a powerful ancient warrior and also a high-ranking bishop of the temple. Being in such a position and having a gap of a thousand years with the present, it's normal for you not to pay much attention to us mortals," Grand Duke Luen said lightly. "I came here to see how Princess Ania and Prince Andrew are recovering. I wonder why you are here..."

"Oh, I'm here to visit them too. Veronica brought me here."

After hearing this, Grand Duke Luen looked at Hao Ren with some suspicion. This time, he hardly concealed his expression.

"Is there a problem, Uncle Luen?" Ania immediately noticed the change in the atmosphere. Her address to Grand Duke Luen showed that her private relationship with this important minister of the kingdom seemed to be very good. Of course, it was also possible that they were really related by blood. After all, in the kingdom's intricate upper-class aristocratic circles, blood ties had become a complex network structure. It could even be said that the entire upper-class aristocracy of the Taros Kingdom was composed of only two or three large bloodlines. It was normal for some princes and nobles to address each other with kinship terms in private. "The Guardian is very concerned about me and Andrew."

"Is that so? Thank you for your trouble, Guardian, for paying attention to us juniors from a thousand years later," Grand Duke Luen said with a straight face, then suddenly changed the subject, "Since we suddenly met at this moment, then it's a good opportunity. I have some questions that I would like to ask the Guardian to verify."

Hao Ren was a little curious: "Questions?"

"Although I am not a scholar, I am very interested in many ancient knowledge," Grand Duke Luen raised his eyelids, seemingly really talking about his field of interest. "It's just that history is full of incomplete and fictional shadows, and it's difficult for an amateur like me to touch truly valuable knowledge—I would like to ask you, the guardian from a thousand years ago, how exactly did the three 'Holy Spirit Warriors' of the Holy Domain divide the Suspended River into two ten centuries ago? And how did the Suspended River return to its original state later?"

Hao Ren was stunned.

Then cold sweat began to flow on the back of his feet...

But the expression on his face still managed to remain unchanged. After some super-fast thinking, he managed to squeeze out some words: "Cough, I was always stationed at the Caswan Temple back then. Before the battle you mentioned, the Caswan Temple had already fallen, and then I fell into a long sleep, so of course I don't know anything about the subsequent events you mentioned. Although it's a pity, I can't help you in this regard."

"Is that so... The heroic feat of the Holy Spirit Warriors separating the Suspended River was indeed a matter at the end of the Millennial War," Grand Duke Luen nodded, but immediately followed up with the next question, "Then do you know who destroyed the Ice Queen's Scepter in the battle where the 'Pale Knight' Wagner fell? As we all know, it was the damage to that scepter that prevented the Winter Alliance from arriving on the battlefield in time, but the truth about the scepter's destruction is widely debated. I'm afraid only someone like you who personally experienced that era can tell us the truth."

Veronica couldn't help but interrupt at this time: "Uncle Luen, that's not..."

Grand Duke Luen immediately raised his hand to interrupt Veronica's words: "I hope to receive guidance from the Guardian. Princess Veronica, you slept through every history class, so it's good to listen now."

Veronica: "..."

Hao Ren could see it now. Although he didn't know where he had slipped up, this Grand Duke Luen was obviously suspicious of his identity as an "ancient guardian." He wasn't really asking for advice, but rather questioning him.

"I know," he spread his hands on the spot, "but I don't have time to tell you now."

Grand Duke Luen was stunned—this wasn't following the script.

He had been scheming with many people, but it seemed he had never met such a shameless person!

"Because I have an appointment," Hao Ren then continued with a big sigh of relief, "The Kangde family is also inviting me, and they're also discussing ancient knowledge. As a person of the Holy Domain who values promises and fairness, I can't tell you more before I complete this appointment."

With these two sentences, he had completed the concept theft, causing the two princesses beside him to whisper to each other: "Ania, does the Holy Domain have this precept?" "I've never heard of it..."

Hao Ren kept a straight face: "It did a thousand years ago."

Grand Duke Luen was stunned for a moment, then his expression remained unchanged: "In that case, I was presumptuous. Please go to your appointment first, Guardian. I will await your guidance."

The implication was that he would have to come back and examine him again later. As expected, old ginger is spicier, and this old ginger was probably already oozing oil...

Hao Ren had a headache, but at least he had passed this hurdle. He maintained the expression on his face without any change, and nodded to Grand Duke Luen while maintaining the air of a transcendent master: "No problem, teaching the world is the duty of us clergy. Little fellow, your diligent and studious spirit makes this old man very gratified. Go back and wait, after I sort out my thoughts, I will definitely enlighten you. "

After saying this, he didn't wait for the other party to answer and turned to leave.

Grand Duke Luen's expression froze behind him, and after a long while, he muttered to himself: "Li... Little fellow?"

Veronica and Ania felt that this title was completely fine!