Volume 16 Chapter 2.5

Edited by : Minak Amie. Oh for those who eager for He Di and Zi Yan... their story should begin on Chapter 4 of Vol 16. Next week I will post chapter 3 already, so you need to wait a bit for them... TQ
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To obtain that man, he had to boldly use the weight of his status to develop a good relationship with Duke Ming.
Half of He Di was someone a part of royalty, and the other half was a pirate.
Ignoring the pirate’s style of plundering, the situation on the Aman River already gave Feng Ming a bit of insight on his other half.
He would first grant them some grace and will later ask for remuneration. This was a normal practice for royalty and aristocrats alike. He Di intended to make good use of this method tonight at the banquet.
“Having an enlightened monarch can make a kingdom become rich and powerful. Its people will be prosperous and the land will be full of vitality.” He Di no longer leaned on the pillow languidly and sat up. He originally had the look of a rogue, but after straightening up and showing off his sturdy, vigorous body while moving with considerable momentum, no one would dare to be presumptuous towards him.
When he talked, even Xi Lei’s representatives and Qing Li could not intervene. They could only be polite and temporarily hold back their temper.
He Di laughed and said, “I also come from a family of royals. Since childhood, I have enjoyed a high position with great wealth. However, it has become more and more dull. If a human spends every day eating, drinking, and taking pleasure in the same thing, it will eventually become monotonous. What the Xiao Family’s young Lord said is correct, the most important thing is not what one eats or wears. It is also not about life’s pleasures or hardships. Rather… it is to lead a wonderful life.”
As a host, Qing Zhang needed to makes sure his guests were happy and adjust to the atmosphere of the banquet accordingly. As a result, he put on a look of curiosity and asked, “What aspect of life would you see as wonderful?”
He Di laughed mysteriously and answered, ‘On my body, there is quite a wonderful wound.”
“Oh?”
Right in front of everyone’s eyes, He Di, without hesitation, opened a little section of his clothes to expose a scar that had already healed on his shoulder. He calmly explained, “Not to boast, but when it comes to my skill in swordsmanship, I have always been quite proud. There was no one who ever managed to hurt me. I never expected that, on a certain day, I would encounter a man who can wield the sword better than me and was wounded by his sword.”
Shang Yi curled up next to Qing Li’s side and, with a charming face and a spoiled voice, said, “Aiya, it must have been truly painful.”
“Pain is merely a feeling. However, the moment the sword pierced through my body, I suddenly had a feeling of satisfaction and was truly stimulated.”
“Ah?”
“I had never experience that kind of wonderful feeling before. It was as if I had finally found my reason to live. My dull life had suddenly become lively. Just as Young Lord Xiao has said… a human’s life can actually be full of pleasure.”
Qing Zhang laughed and said, “It looks like Your Highness, Prince He Di’s goals is to keep looking for someone to compete with in order to, once again, experience the feeling of being wounded.”
He Di looked up and loudly laughed in an arrogant manner, shaking his head as he responded, “No. My goal is to seize that person who made my blood surge and make him stay with me, forever by my side. Even now, I can remember the scene from that day. Others would say the taste of a beauty is the most wonderful flavour, however, I think the experience of that day is better than the act of embracing a beautiful woman.” His voice while speaking his last words seemed to be strangely low. He smacked his lips together as though he was remembering the aftertaste of some kind of delicious food.
Rong Hu, who was kneeling beside Zi Yan, could see him constantly clenching the hilt of his sword. Feeling something was odd, he whispered to him, “Is there something wrong?” He was on guard as he carefully looked at his surroundings.
Zi Yan’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He gritted his teeth and replied, “It’s nothing.”
Dong!
The sound of a loud drum reverberated from the door of the hall, shocking everyone.
The sound continued to linger.
Qing Zhang noticed that there was more to the story, however he still carried out his duties as a host. He stood up and made a toast for his guests. “Time seems to fly by fast, it is already Haishi. I hope all the distinguished guest today will not be overly tired or too drunk. Listening to the excellent debate today has really made me joyful. I, Qing Zhang, toast this wine as a thank you to everyone.”
[TLN: 亥时 hài shí - period of the day from 9 to 11 at night]
All those present knew that the time of Haishi was when Tong’s banquet would normally end. Seeing Qing Zhang stand up, one guest after another also stood and prepared to toast.
They all accepted the toast and drank.
Behind his three guards, Feng Ming breathed out in relief.
Tong’s banquet, with dangers lurking in every corner, was finally over.
Most importantly, the results were not too bad.