Chapter 639: Prince Hao
Bai Yunfei and Wu Yang rose to their feet as soon as they felt the entrance of this person. Just as Bai Yunfei was debating on just what to say, Wu Yang spoke out to the man first. “Are you staying here as well, uncle??”
“……”
Bai Yunfei blinked—Uncle?!
This person wasn’t His Majesty, Wu Hong?!
The person Wu Yang spoke to was younger brother of His Majesty Wu Hong, Wu Hao!
Prince Hao!
The previous ruler of the empire had two sons. One of them was the current ruler, Wu Hong, and the other was Wu Hao, the sole ‘Prince’ of the previous generation.
This man was the vice-headmaster of the Tianhun School while his older brother was the headmaster. With how hard managing the entire empire was, Wu Hong had his younger brother take care of everything in regards to the Tianhun School and other day by day affairs.
Prince Hao was a man that stood at a level above that of the Ministers of the Left and Right. In other words, he was a man that stood beneath only one man and above tens of thousands of others.
……
Having earlier known about the members of the Royal Family, Bai Yunfei was quick to react, “Junior Bai Yunfei pays his respects to Prince Hao.” He bowed.
Wu Hao nodded his head to Wu Yang first before regarding Bai Yunfei with a calm look. “Now now, no need for niceties, you must be Bai Yunfei?”
“Uncle, this is the instructor of our crafting class.” Wu Yang preambled from the side, “Father summoned him here. We weren’t expecting to see you here as well, uncle….”
Walking to one of the chairs in front of Bai Yunfei and Wu Yang, Wu Hao sat down. He gestured with an open hand for them to sit as well before speaking. “I’ve heard a few things as of late and decided to come take a look at just what kind of genius the Capital has been saying was.”
Bai Yunfei smiled in return to the man. “This junior is by no means a genius. Your praises are wasted on me, Prince Hao.”
If the personal disciple of the Crafting School’s previous headmaster isn’t a genius, then no one else in the world should dare show their faces.” Prince Hao chuckled. “So young and yet already a peak late-stage Soul Exalt. Truly, I mean it when I say you are a genius of your generation.”
For someone of his caliber, seeing how strong Bai Yunfei was wasn’t a problem.
Right next to Bai Yunfei, Wu Yang was stunned.
Bai Yunfei was being treated so friendly by his uncle? That was an extermely rare sight to see.
Normally, Wu Hao was a man known to rarely give smiles to others and was a more stern man than his older brother. Whenever Wu Yang himself got into trouble, it was usually his uncle that punished him when the family found out.
But none of that stern rigidness was anywhere to be seen from his uncle right now. He was currently treating Bai Yunfei like a friend from the previou generation, asking him if he was accustomed to the Capital yet or if his classes in the academy have been going as planned.
Just slightly, Wu Yang was starting to doubt if this man in front of him was the very same uncle he knew.
Wu Yang sighed to himself. “Instructor Bai is instructor Bai. Even my uncle treats him well….”
“If I recall correctly, you were assaulted by someone from the Soul Refining School. Was it not the Soul Refining Palm from a Soul King? Have you healed from that?” Wu Hao asked in the middle of their conversation.
Not expecting that question to be asked, Bai Yunfei took a second before he responded. “Thank you for your concern, Prince Hao. I was injured then, but I am more-or-less recovered from that.”
“Very well.” Wu Hao nodded. “The events of that time was due to the folly of my Tianhun School. We hadn’t believed a Soul King would dare launch an attack so easily, but due to our slacked defenses, a grave mistake was nearly made. As the overseer over the public safety and security of the soul cultivators in the Capital, I will take responsibility over this.”
“Prince Hao, your words are far too serious. The Capital is a large place, overseeing the entire Capital is by no means an easy feat. The Soul Kings that attacked planned the assault for a very long time. Not being able to respond as quickly as back then is only natural. If not for the intervention of the many Soul Kings that came, I wouldn’t have made it out with only a few injuries.”
Wu Hao smiled. “I heard that an early-stage Soul King was killed by the combined efforts of you and your soulbeast. When the other Soul King fled, I personally led a group to go capture him. He unfortunately decided that death was a better option than capture, and thus we were unable to find out anything more.”
Bai Yunfei hadn’t thought that the one to led the group to chase down the other Soul King would’ve been Wu Hao.
“However….Bai Yunfei, do you know why the Soul Refining School might’ve attacked you? Has there been issues between you and them before?” Wu Hao asked, this time more inquisitive than before.
“In truth, Prince Hao, there has been some knots between this junior and the Soul Refining School. We’ve fought several times in the past and this one has already killed several of their students. There is already a ‘grudge’....”
“Oh? Several times you say?” Wu Hao raised an eyebrow, “The Soul Refining School has always been secretive when one of their own heads outwards. But never has it been for anything good, and rarely can people attribute it to them until after the deed is done. Just meeting them several times would be a very hard thing to do….”
“Rare to see?” Bai Yunfei sighed to himself, “Why do I feel like they’re everywhere. I’m never rid of them.”
“All things considered, the Soul Refining School has been more active as of the past few years. This time, they’ve appeared in the Capital, I wonder just what plot they’re crafting this time.” Sighed Wu Hao, “It’s unfortunate how cunning the Soul Refining School is. Even the information my Tianhun School collects has rarely any important details. Any important details only come after it’s too late to act on them, alas….”
“That is the ‘advantage’ of being a ‘villain’.” Bai Yunfei spoke, “They are always hiding in the shadows. But….the Soul Refining School is a wicked school. I have faith that one day, their school will be scattered like dust.”
……
The more Bai Yunfei chatted with Wu Hao, the more calm he felt. This Wu Hao didn’t seem as strict as he appeared, and Bai Yunfei didn’t really feel any arrogant airs coming from him.
“Feels like all the Royal Family are people that are easy to get along with, or at least the ones I’ve met so far.”
At some point while they spoke, Wu Hao raised an eyebrow and turned to the gates of the hall. “Haha, my older brother is here. Why don’t we go out and greet him?”
Brother? That meant….His Majesty has arrived!
Bai Yunfei quickly rose to his feet after Wu Hao did. Side by side with Wu Yang, they strode towards the gates of the hall.
When they were outside the hall, Bai Yunfei could see a small group of people come walking towards the gates. Standing at the front of a large procession of guards and servants were four men.
The man up front wore a golden dragon robe. His appearance couldn’t be discerned due to the distance, but this man was undoubtedly His Majesty, Wu Hong. By his right side was a middle-aged man who walked half a step behind him. Two younger males walked behind the second man.
“Ah?? They came too?!”
Wu Yang uttered a gasp when he recognized the people following his father. “Instructor Bai,” he whispered, “the person to my father’s right is the Minister of the Right, Cheng Huayu.”
“What?!” Bai Yunfei’s eyebrows flew to the top of his head. The father of Cheng Xin was coming with His Majesty, Wu Hong?
Did this mean to say that he was here to seek justice for his son?!