Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

「High up in the Saint Institute, within Duan Wushuang’s room.」

Duan Wushuang, who had been meditating cross-legged, snapped her eyes open, her expression one of utter shock.

When she learned that Chen Yan had come to the Saint Institute just to find Lin Hao, she had not revealed herself.

But the personal appearance of a man like Chen Yan, who had rarely left the Chen estate for decades, was something Duan Wushuang had to take seriously.

So, she dispatched her Divine Soul.

Duan Wushuang’s Divine Soul took the form of a strange little tree. It had already arrived at Lin Hao’s courtyard before Chen Yan even got there.

From that moment on, Duan Wushuang observed every move Chen Yan and Lin Hao made.

She had been stunned to see Chen Yan about to kneel before Lin Hao. But what left her even more speechless was that Lin Hao actually dared to joke with the War God.

What truly took Duan Wushuang by surprise, however, was that Chen Yan actually had a playful side and was willing to joke with Lin Hao.

After all, Chen Yan, the War God, had always been known for being stern, iron-willed, and merciless.

For Duan Wushuang, witnessing such a scene was as shocking as seeing the sun rise in the west.

She doubted there was anyone else in the world, aside from Lin Hao, who could interact with Chen Yan that way.

’This kid!’ After a long moment, Duan Wushuang finally collected herself, shaking her head with a helpless, wry smile.

Meanwhile, the boy she was thinking of had already followed Chen Yan out the main gate of the Saint Institute.

Chen Yan had arrived on a dragon horse, but when Lin Hao emerged, Chen Yan actually offered him the mount, insisting on leading the horse himself.

In Lin Hao’s presence, Chen Yan behaved nothing like the renowned War God. Instead, he was more like a faithful old servant.

If anyone from the empire were to see this, their jaws would hit the floor. Not even the Monarch himself was worthy of having Chen Yan lead his horse!

Lin Hao was taken aback as well.

’There’s no way I can let the War God lead a horse for me.’

"General, I’ve just had a sudden urge. I’d like to race this dragon horse for a bit," Lin Hao said with a glint in his eye, choosing a tactful way to decline.

Chen Yan, of course, understood Lin Hao’s intention. He laughed heartily and said, "You’ve picked the right opponent then. This old partner of mine is as fast as lightning. Back on the battlefield, not even alien beasts could keep up with him."

As Chen Yan spoke, the dragon horse raised its head, looking supremely arrogant.

Chen Yan vaulted onto the horse, his spirits high and full of vigor.

Without a word from Chen Yan, the dragon horse shot forward, swift as a bolt of lightning.

Lin Hao smiled faintly, and with a single step, he gave chase...

The four great families each occupied a different quarter of Imperial City. The Chen family was located in the northernmost sector.

Under the deep cover of night, the dragon horse and Lin Hao came to a simultaneous stop before the Chen family’s main gate. Two gusts of wind, kicked up by their speed, swirled on the wide street, slow to dissipate.

"Such incredible speed!" Chen Yan exclaimed in genuine admiration as he dismounted.

The dragon horse let out a long neigh.

"Don’t be sore, old friend," Chen Yan said to the dragon horse. "He wasn’t even going all out. Go on, get some rest." The dragon horse shot Lin Hao a sidelong glance, then leaped into the air and vanished behind the compound wall in an instant.

As the dragon horse took to the air, the heavy main gates of the Chen family estate swung open.

Chen Yan gestured for Lin Hao to enter, and they went in together.

It wasn’t brightly lit as one might expect. There was only a single lantern, held by the person who had opened the gate.

"I’ll take it from here. Go get some rest," Chen Yan said, personally taking the lantern from the man.

"Yes, General." The voice that answered was aged but resonant.

The man turned to leave, and only then did Lin Hao notice that he had only one leg. The other was replaced by an iron crutch.

Even so, the man’s spine was ramrod straight.

It was the bearing that only a Warrior could possess.

"The Chen family has no servants," Chen Yan’s voice grew somber. "Just some old comrades who were lucky enough to survive the battlefield and stayed to keep me company. A pity... there are fewer of them with each passing year."

Lin Hao followed Chen Yan deeper into the estate. The vast Chen compound felt rather desolate, yet along the way, he would occasionally hear a voice call out, "General."

The scene left a deep impression on Lin Hao.

Compared to the Eighth Prince’s Your Highness’ Mansion, the Chen family estate was its polar opposite.

"General," Lin Hao said abruptly as they walked, "Yuxin told me there’s a young man in your family who is exceptionally brilliant. I’d like to meet him, if I may."

This was, in fact, his main reason for coming.

It was also one of the reasons Chen Yan had gone to the Saint Institute to find him in person.

’To be honest, for someone to make a man as proud as Chen Yan act that way... Lin Hao was intensely curious about this young man.’

"I’ll take you to him now," Chen Yan said, his pace quickening considerably.

Before long, they stopped in front of a pavilion.

Standing before the pavilion was a young man with his hand on a wheelchair.

In the wheelchair sat a youth dressed entirely in black.

"Grandfather." Upon seeing Chen Yan, the two spoke in unison, their tone deeply respectful.

Chen Yan nodded.

Then, the black-clad youth in the wheelchair addressed Lin Hao. "Lin Hao. You are well."

His tone was identical to the one Chen Yan had used when he first met Lin Hao at the Saint Institute.

"No. I am not well," Lin Hao replied, his expression turning serious as he shook his head.

The black-clad youth was taken aback for a moment, but then he smiled and cupped his hands. "Uncle Lin Hao, greetings. I am Chen Xiao. The ’Xiao’ in my name means ’valiant.’"

Lin Hao and Chen Xiao were about the same age, but hearing Chen Xiao call him ’Uncle’ didn’t feel strange to Lin Hao in the slightest.

"Good boy, Xiaojiu." A peculiar light flashed in Lin Hao’s eyes, and his expression broke into a wide grin.

The person holding the wheelchair behind Chen Xiao was Chen Qian. "Ninth Brother, Brother Lin, what’s going on?" he asked, completely bewildered.

"Brother Qian, you can’t call Uncle Lin Hao ’brother’ anymore," Chen Xiao explained with a smile. "You probably haven’t heard, but a few months ago, Uncle Qi visited War Dragon City, and Uncle Lin Hao addressed him as Big Brother."

"Ah!" Chen Qian exclaimed in surprise. He hadn’t heard anything about that.

"Qian, you still have much to learn," Chen Yan interjected. "Remember, a battlefield can be anywhere. Know your enemy and know yourself, and you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. This is a lesson you should learn from Xiao."

"Yes, Grandfather," Chen Qian replied respectfully.

"Uncle Lin Hao," Chen Xiao said to Lin Hao, his smile exceptionally bright, "since this is our first meeting, shouldn’t you be giving your little nephew a gift?"

Lin Hao’s eye twitched. ’Chen Xiao knows I can heal him, yet he can face me with such composure. His mental fortitude and self-control are far beyond that of an ordinary person.’

In fact, Lin Hao had the distinct feeling that if Chen Xiao were his enemy, he would be an incredibly troublesome one.

In fact, there was something Lin Hao didn’t yet know. Despite his youth, Chen Xiao had already been ennobled by the Monarch as Marquis Wu Shuang.

"Wu Shuang"—Peerless—was a nod to Chen Xiao’s strategic genius.

Unfortunately for him, however, this Marquis Wu Shuang had just met Lin Hao.

But "troublesome" didn’t mean "unbeatable."

Before Lin Hao, even a dragon must coil and a tiger must lie down.

A corner of Lin Hao’s mouth lifted into a smirk as he replied, "Of course I have a gift. In fact, I have two. The question is, which one do you want?"

"For the most valuable one, what price must I pay?" Chen Xiao asked.

Lin Hao replied softly, "Your life."

"My life is very valuable. Is your gift worth it?" Chen Xiao asked, his expression unchanging.

Lin Hao’s lips curled into a wide grin, and an aura of supreme confidence radiated from him.

Then, Lin Hao spoke. "Yang Peng, the man who follows me, was once a mortal, unable to awaken a bloodline."

"What?!" Chen Xiao’s eyes flew wide open, and he cried out in disbelief.

It wasn’t just him; even Chen Yan’s pupils contracted sharply.