Chapter 177: Jiang Chen Makes His Move
It actually wasn’t that Jiang Chen was purposefully picking a bone with Ye Dai, but rather that the first prince had provoked him and attempted to force him to submit over and over again.
Jiang Chen didn’t want to cause trouble, but he couldn’t hold up beneath the repeated provocation from these fellows.
Naturally, he didn’t mind when they labelled him as a village buffoon, but he truly loathed and detested the first prince’s lofty sense of superiority.
This sense of disdain had once appeared with regards to Long Juxue and the sect disciples of the Purple Sun Sect. It was appearing once again with the group around the first prince.
They were acting as if they were the venerated children of heaven so everyone else should naturally be their targets of abuse and humiliation, and stepped on beneath their feet!
What Jiang Chen abhorred most were idiots who obviously amounted to nothing, but loved pretending that they were the proud children of heaven.
If one was talking about geniuses, or favored geniuses of the gods, who had more right to be labelled thus other than Jiang Chen, who was the son of the Celestial Emperor in his past life!
However, Jiang Chen had never said he was a genius, and never used a lofty, holier-than-thou attitude to lord it over everyone else.
What need did true geniuses have for labels? Why would they seek satisfaction from oppressing others?
Dan Fei was slightly surprised to see Jiang Chen rebut Ye Dai. She wanted to smooth things over, but then, her thoughts raced and she suddenly wanted to see what Jiang Chen had up his sleeve. Pacifying words were at the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them again.
At this point, second prince Ye Qiao also smiled. “That’s right big brother, if you really do have some brilliant ideas, share them with us so we can all increase our knowledge as well.”
Ye Rong was similarly ticked off. Although Ye Dai was hectoring Jiang Chen from the looks of things, he was actually targeting Ye Rong at the end of the day.
“Big brother, since you say that I’m immature and ignorant, then you should do something mature and wise to set an example for us. If you can help the honored tutor resolve his difficulties, then us brothers will also bow to your superiority. Otherwise, if you only know how to ride roughshod over everyone and yell at people, how will you be the model for us brothers?”
Prince Ye Rong had never publicly raised his voice against Ye Dai, but he was finally no longer willing to hold things in now.
Ye Dai smiled coldly, “Your follower even dares to offend the genius of a sect, what else is there that he is unwilling to do? Is there any point in us saying anything?”
Lu Wuji hastened to add, “That’s right, Jiang Chen, the unprecedented way you throw your weight when you say that the sect genius can’t do anything. What, can you resolve this?”
Han Xianke also spoke frostily, “Jiang Chen, you’re a common, ordinary ant and you dare say that I am spinning tall tales. This is not only an insult to sect disciples but also an insult to the Precious Tree Sect.”
All of them were up in arms while using words to suppress Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen was as noncommittal as the clouds and wind as he said faintly, “Stop posturing. Sect disciples need to use their true abilities and knowledge to prove themselves. Using their reputation to lord over others isn’t the act of a genius, but that of useless trash. You say I’m a common, ordinary ant. If you find that a problem that you, a so-called genius, couldn’t handle was in fact handled by an ant, what would you think then? Where would you put your face?”
“You?” Han Xianke couldn’t help but start laughing wildly. “You’re mediocrity that’s not even in the spirit realm! You don’t even have the right to approach the Phoenix-Dragon. You’ll handle the matter? If you can take care of it, I, Han Xianke, will immediately admit that I’m trash and you’re the genius. I’ll even be your dog from now on!”
“Be my dog? Heh heh, I’m afraid that you’re not qualified to.” Jiang Chen smiled carelessly.
Dan Fei’s almond eyes moved slightly as a trace of hope flashed through them. “You’re called Jiang Chen? Did you say just now that this creature is called the Five Winged Phoenix-Dragon?”
Jiang Chen nodded, “That’s right, its proper name is the Five Winged Phoenix-Dragon.”
“But, we’ve always just called it the Phoenix-Dragon.”
“The Phoenix-Dragon is its origins, the Five Winged is its outward appearance. The bloodline from crossbreeding between phoenixes and dragons has been passed down since ancient times, with the bloodline becoming more and more diluted with every generation. This Five Winged Phoenix-Dragon counts as a lower grade of heritage. A truly strong heritage exists in the Twelve Winged Phoenix-Dragon. Now that’s really something!”
“Twelve winged?” Looks of incredulity were revealed in Dan Fei’s beautiful eyes.
“Jiang Chen, don’t spin such a tall tale. Who doesn’t know how to make up stories? How about you give us an explanation on what’s wrong with this Phoenix-Dragon instead?” Han Xianke said angrily.
“Don’t you try to provoke me now, I actually happen to know a bit more about this matter than you do.”
Dan Fei’s almond-shaped eyes widened. “Jiang Chen, do you really know? Tell us, tell us, just what is wrong with the Phoenix-Dragon?”
“The honored tutor has raised this Phoenix-Dragon since it was young, correct? That span of time equates to roughly thirty or so years all together, right?”
“This… how did you know?” Dan Fei was startled.
As for the old tutor who’d been sitting on his chair all along, a shrewd beam of light suddenly shot out from his eyes towards Jiang Chen.
“From the various emotions being displayed by this Phoenix-Dragon, it’s most likely male. These problems wouldn’t be cropping up if it was female.”
“You know even this? Did you secretly observe it just now?” Dan Fei was even more baffled.
“Stuff like unsuitable climate and its untamed wild nature is all nonsense. The Phoenix-Dragon is one of the easier creatures to tame amongst the ancient spirit creature bloodlines. It is behaving like this for one reason only.”
“And what is that?” Dan Fei asked unconsciously.
“Very simple, it’s in heat.” Jiang Chen chuckled.
Dan Fei immediately flushed bright red. “Jiang Chen, you’re talking nonsense.”
Jiang Chen said gravely, “Breeding between all creatures on the earth and beneath the heavens is a natural law of nature. How would this be nonsense?”
Seeing that Jiang Chen was speaking so seriously, Dan Fei debated with a red face, “You say it… it’s in… whatever. Even if you’re right, why hasn’t this happened before? It…. this is all of a sudden?”
“Stupid! Was I just running my mouth when I said it was roughly thirty years old? We humans start developing when we’re thirteen or fourteen and begin to understand the matters between man and woman. The Phoenix-Dragon is more of a late bloomer and only start maturing after its thirty years old. It hadn’t done so before because it was young. Now that it’s started developing, it’s thinking all sorts of random thoughts. You understand me?”
Even an open girl such as Dan Fei was blushing all over from Jiang Chen’s words. For some reason, although Jiang Chen’s conclusion sounded a bit like groundless gossip, she still believed seventy to eighty percent of what she’d heard.
One had to say, Jiang Chen’s conclusion was frightful and shocking to the ear.
Most of the noble disciples present didn’t believe him and felt that Jiang Chen was talking out of his butt. But even if he was bullshitting, they still rather admired his courage.
One had to know, to bullshit at a moment like this carried high risks. After all, the person sitting on the stage was the undying totem of the kingdom, Tutor Ye Chonglou!
And, if Jiang Chen’s loose words were spoken randomly, then he was undoubtedly flirting and teasing sister Dan Fei. If Dan Fei found out in the end that Jiang Chen was leading her on, he would undoubtedly die a horrible death.
Who didn’t know that even if it was the princes of the royal family, no one would dare speak frivolously in front of Dan Fei? Otherwise, Dan Fei would also give them the cold treatment.
Ye Rong was both delighted and worried as he saw Jiang Chen carry on. He knew that Jiang Chen often made surprising moves, and that he never failed with any of them.
He was delighted that Jiang Chen had made his move, but worried that if he messed things up this time, the consequences would be very severe.
Honored Tutor Ye would be unable to contain his anger, and even sister Dan Fei wouldn’t show him a kind face from then onwards.
Ye Rong could only pray inwardly, “Jiang Chen ah, please don’t mess this up. Ah forget it, I was the one who brought Jiang Chen here. If I don’t trust him, then who would? If I use someone, I shouldn’t suspect them. If I suspect someone, then I shouldn’t use them. If I, Ye Rong, have so set my determination to compete for the position of Crown Prince, then I will need the tolerance of a ruler-in-waiting. My starting point in all areas is less than Ye Dai. If even my appetite for adventure is less than his, then in what else can I compete with him?”
Ye Rong was also a decisive person. Just like what he’d said when he first recruited Jiang Chen, he and Jiang Chen were both gold buried in the sand.
He felt that he and Jiang Chen were essentially similar. They were destined to emerge from the masses and soar over ordinary folk.
Therefore, he decided to take this gamble and bet everything on Jiang Chen.
Ye Dai had been thoroughly lectured by Jiang Chen earlier and his pride was naturally making him feel quite humiliated as the first prince. Now that he saw Jiang Chen carry on with such a frivolous subject, no matter how he looked at it, it seemed like Jiang Chen was making up a colossal joke.
Ye Dai knew that this was the perfect timing to make a move against his opponent.
He took a step forward and roared out, “Jiang Chen, sister Dan Fei is a belle of rare charm. Don’t you speak filled with such depravity in front of her! What kind of diagnosis is this? You’re acting like a thug! Damned despicable!”
Ye Dai put on the urbane, graceful demeanor of protecting Dan Fei.
He cupped his hands again and said to Dan Fei, “Sister Dan Fei, this kid is the son of a small duke in the Eastern Kingdom. He’s a village buffoon, what would he know about spirit creatures? This brat has a sharp tongue, and he’s particularly adept at spinning lies. Sister Dan Fei, don’t fall for his lies.”
Lu Wuji also added on, “Right, apart from a witty mouth and a glib tongue, this brat doesn’t have any true abilities to his name.”
Third prince Ye Zheng also sighed, “To think that, although the noble sons and disciples of our vaunted Skylaurel Kingdom number in great figures, along with countless numbers of experts, here we are, listening to a backwater kid run his mouth.”
Ye Dai felt even more reassured having received support from so many. He roared with self righteous justice, “Number four, if you still want any face as a member of the royal family, tell this backwater buffoon to shut his mouth. What are your intentions in speaking so lewdly and blaspheming against sister Dan Fei?”
This huge crime came flying towards Ye Rong and Jiang Chen.
Blaspheming sister Dan Fei was a crime that was enough to make many of the young noble sons and disciples present view one as a common enemy.
One had to know, most of these young men had subtle thoughts with regards to Dan Fei. She was elegant and beautiful, poised and dignified. She was the goddess that many noble sons held within their hearts.
A stunningly beautiful appearance, a graceful and noble demeanor, and the most favored disciple of Tutor Ye. No matter from what angle they viewed her from, Dan Fei was the most perfect goddess.
Ye Rong had been oppressed several times by Ye Dai and also said with displeasure, “First prince, I honor you as a senior brother and have always held a tolerant attitude towards your oppression. You say that Jiang Chen is speaking loosely with no basis at all. I’d like to ask you, what evidence do you have that he’s speaking loosely? Since the person you invited couldn’t handle things, you disallow my guest to speak in return?”
“Evidence? Is proof needed to overthrow his ridiculous words?” Ye Dai smiled coldly and wondered if Ye Rong was so idiotic because his brains had been smashed between doors.
“You’re merely slandering others if you have no proof.” Ye Rong had also had his ire aroused and wasn’t backing down at all. He knew that if he backed down from here, then his entire life would be equivalent to being beaten into the ground by the first prince. He would never have the chance to redeem himself.
On the contrary, if he held up beneath the onslaught this time or even came out on top, then it would greatly increase his reputation within the capital and give him the right to compete fairly with Ye Dai!
Seeing the two brothers insist on their sides, Dan Fei was also in a tough position. At that moment, she would invite unnecessary trouble if she favored any side and cause the scene to become even more chaotic.
