novelraw Chapter 927: Ugly but Fantasizing About Beauty
Chapter 927: Ugly but Fantasizing About Beauty
Ever since he tried to use Mu Hanyan to make a name for himself at the restaurant last time, but was instead forced into a corner by Mu Hanyan, the Fifth Prince has lost all face. Not only did he fail to establish any authority but also became a laughingstock among the other princes.He Qingwei and the other noble family’s sons are no fools. Seeing him fail miserably and return to the Capital disgraced, they felt following him offered no future, and gradually distanced themselves from him.
However, he did not want to give up his grand ambitions so easily and began to entertain other thoughts.
It was hopeless to rely on those spoiled rich kids from the Eight Great Families, but the Capital wasn’t only home to the Eight Great Families. There were other wealthy families that weren’t weak; as long as he gathered these family’s descendants around him, his momentum would grow, and He Qingwei and the others would change their minds.
With this plan in mind, the Fifth Prince regained his former fighting spirit. While recruiting descendants from other noble families and wealthy families, he also sought talented individuals and masters from various quarters within the Capital.
Unfortunately, the offspring of those other wealthy families were also not foolish. Seeing that even the spoiled rich kids from the Eight Great Families kept their distance from him, how could they easily pledge allegiance to him? The struggle for royal power is extremely brutal; if the Fifth Prince truly had the capability to rule, they might follow him to ascend to great heights. But if he was incapable, wouldn’t they be dragged down, never to rise again?
Therefore, those young masters from wealthy families appeared to engage with him superficially, but in actuality, they were neither entirely distant nor easily devoted to him.
Initially, the Fifth Prince felt quite pleased when he saw their meticulous respect and courtesy toward him. However, things didn’t turn out as beautifully as he imagined.
Resigned, the Fifth Prince had to lower his expectations slightly, focusing his sights on the families outside the Sword Guard Mansion, which, although unable to compete with the Capital’s wealthy families, had considerable strength. The key was this time he recruited the young masters from various families within the Sword Guard Mansion, who, although not as renowned as He Qingwei and others, were by no means inferior in ability.
Rong Family was among the small families he recruited, and the first to pledge allegiance to him.
This is not surprising, because having offended Mu Hanyan, Rong Tianhai was brutally beaten by Mu Zexian without clear reason. The matter wasn’t even explained to him before he was kicked out.
Having lost their backing, other families expelled from the Sword Guard Mansion by the Rong Family nursed thoughts of revenge. So, as soon as the Fifth Prince spoke, Rong Tianhai immediately led the entire Rong Family to pledge allegiance to him.
Subsequently, encouraged by his call and coupled with Qu Fengting’s persuasion, several other small families from the Sword Guard Mansion also allied with the Fifth Prince.
The Fifth Prince finally regained his royal family status, brimming with pride.
Of course, Rong Tianhai was not inclined to pledge allegiance to the Fifth Prince without expecting benefits in return. Not long afterwards, he asked the Fifth Prince to help him seize the Fang Family Market, both to drive the Fang Family to ruin and to warn other families against thoughts of revenge.
Since it was the first family to pledge allegiance to him, the Fifth Prince would not refuse Rong Tianhai’s request for the sake of garnering loyalty.
Of course, having learned from the lesson with Mu Hanyan last time, he was more cautious. First, he sent Qu Fengting to investigate, and knowing Fang Family was merely a declining small family without backing, they started their action.
Once they arrived at Fang Family Market, the Fifth Prince realized that the wilderness Rong Tianhai mentioned had turned into a Treasure Bowl. Originally, he only intended to stand up for Rong Tianhai, but seeing this, he developed the idea of buying all the land around Flying Peak. To win loyalty, he decided not to monopolize it and agreed to share with Rong Tianhai and others.
Rong Tianhai originally just wanted to eliminate the Fang Family; encountering such a good opportunity, he was naturally delighted, and the young masters from several other small families were equally excited, expressing gratitude and loyalty to the Fifth Prince.
However, they were counting their chickens before they hatched, already thinking about dividing spoils before getting their hands on anything.
Arriving at Fang Family’s Workshop and presenting their demands, Family Head Fang rejected them outright.
In the past, seeing Rong Tianhai and others come menacingly would have made him somewhat guilty, but now that the territories around Fang Village were Mu Hanyan’s, he had no reason to feel intimidated.
After being rejected, the Fifth Prince and others resorted to intimidation and temptation. Despite Family Head Fang not fearing them, he knew their family power far exceeded the Fang Family’s, especially the leading Fifth Young Master, who had an imposing presence. So, he was cautious not to easily offend them.
Having no choice after their persistent harassment, Family Head Fang claimed the land had already been sold to someone else.
The Fifth Prince found it hard to believe his words, but given the rejection was reasonable, he couldn’t be overly aggressive. Being royal family offspring, he couldn’t leave a reputation for bullying despite keeping a low profile and concealing his identity.
Thus, he allowed Family Head Fang three days. The Fifth Prince himself, along with Nian An Yao and Rong Tianhai etc., went to investigate Flying Peak. Mentioning Nian An Yao, he had been one of the Fifth Prince’s great acquisitions during this period. With the Clear Heart Soul Guarding Stone bestowed by his father when returning to the Capital, combined with his and Qu Fengting’s persistent persuasion, he finally convinced this renowned Capital Master Nian to serve him.
Later, when the group reached Flying Peak, the Fifth Prince realized what a great deal he had stumbled upon. Although the deal hadn’t been completed, he already considered Flying Peak and its adjacent territories as his possessions.
Initially, he still cared about his reputation and was reluctant to easily reveal his true identity, but now he was determined to acquire the land no matter what.
This was a Divine Beast, even stronger than legendary Divine Beasts; more importantly, this Divine Beast was reborn through its Divine Sense and wasn’t as powerful as typical newborn beasts, making it entirely possible to tame.
Once owning such a Divine Beast, who could stop him from seizing the throne? Perhaps at that moment, the mere Anyun throne wouldn’t even concern him; conquering the world wouldn’t be difficult.
His mind filled with fantasies, suppressing his excitement with effort, the Fifth Prince’s face still showed a tinge of blood-red excitement, his cold gaze akin to a ravenous wolf eyeing a lamb, both greedy and ruthless.
"Brother Tian Hai was right. As long as Fifth Prince discloses your identity, there will be nothing Family Head Fang can do to evade us further. At worst, we wait a few months, until Master Nian is fully prepared before making a move," Qu Fengting, understanding the Fifth Prince’s character well after spending time together, noticed the greed and ruthlessness in his eyes, guessed his thoughts, and straightforwardly addressed his identity without any reservation.