Chapter 867: Prince Jin's Recruitment

With the trading firm's Token in hand, passing through the gates proved effortless.

Unexpectedly, they hadn't traveled far before the sound of hooves approached from the distance.

Before long, a troop of riders blocked the path of their horse carriage.

Every one of these men wore armor, with a saber and sword hanging from their waists.

Their leader dismounted and approached, cupping his hands in greeting. "Li Jing, Commandant of Zhengtang Pass, greets Mister Chen."

Chen Changsheng paused in mild surprise before cupping his hands in return. "Greetings, Commandant. May I ask why you have sought This Chen out?"

Commandant Li replied, "The Prince has wanted to meet you for a long time, Mister. He wishes to invite you to his tent for a chat."

Chen Changsheng nodded, then turned his attention back to the carriage.

"Whatever Mister decides is fine," Miss Yun said.

Chen Changsheng replied, "If you feel it would be inconvenient, Miss Yun, we can simply decline. You don't need to worry about such things."

Yunxiang smiled. "We should go. It seems Commandant Li has been waiting here for you for quite some time, Mister."

Given their sincerity, it wouldn't be right to brush them off entirely.

Hearing this, Chen Changsheng replied, "Lead the way, Commandant."

Commandant Li and his riders immediately escorted the horse carriage toward the camp.

On the way, Chen Changsheng asked, "Why is the Prince here in the Borderland?"

This was the border between Yan Land and Jindi.

"The Prince knew you would be heading north, Mister, so he came here to wait for you," the commandant replied.

Chen Changsheng nodded, though he wondered how the Prince knew he was coming.

'Did he find out while we were in Yan Land?'

'Perhaps not.'

'Prince Jin might have known as early as when we were in Weidi.'

As they headed toward the Military Camp, armored soldiers grew more frequent along the road. They soon passed through the camp gates and arrived before the main tent.

A figure stepped out from the tent to welcome them.

The man wore silver armor and carried a saber at his waist. Although his face showed signs of age, his stride and speech carried the vigorous strength of a seasoned warrior.

"Please, Mister, alight from your carriage," Prince Jin said, cupping his hands.

Chen Changsheng stepped down from the horse carriage.

Miss Yun followed suit, bringing Yu Hongjin and Lihua out with her.

Seeing the Mister's aged face and his transcendent, Immortal bearing, Prince Jin couldn't help but sigh in admiration. "You truly live up to your reputation as a living Immortal, Mister."

Chen Changsheng knew Prince Jin had likely misunderstood something, but he chose not to correct him.

Upon entering the tent, they found a banquet already laid out. All the generals under Prince Jin's command were present. Chen Changsheng's seat was placed in the most prominent position—right at the front on one side, closest to Prince Jin himself.

"Mister Chen, you must be exhausted from your days of travel," Prince Jin said. "I have prepared some wine and food. They are mere mortal offerings, but I hope you won't disdain them. Come, generals! Join me in a toast to the Mister."

"To the Mister!"

"To the Mister!"

Before the crowd, Chen Changsheng raised his cup in return.

"Stupid cat, eat a little less and leave some for me!" Yu Hongjin bickered with Lihua, the two of them snatching food from each other without a care for the occasion.

Miss Yun didn't have much of an appetite and only ate a few bites.

This banquet was a tremendous show of respect.

Yet, throughout the meal, Prince Jin brought up no ulterior motives. He simply ate and drank, and afterward, he offered to arrange a place for Chen Changsheng to stay.

Chen Changsheng declined. "You are too kind, Your Highness, but there are inns in the Market Town. Since I am traveling with female companions, it would be inappropriate for us to stay in a Military Camp."

Prince Jin realized his oversight. "Your words make sense, Mister. It was a lack of consideration on my part. My apologies. How about this—I own a small courtyard in the neighboring Market Town. Why don't you stay there for the time being?"

Seeing no way to refuse, Chen Changsheng agreed to the arrangement.

After resting, they moved into the courtyard.

"What a huge courtyard!"

Yu Hongjin marveled. "It's even bigger than the Tang Manor!"

Yunxiang looked at Chen Changsheng. "Prince Jin wants to recruit you, Mister."

Chen Changsheng nodded. "That seems to be the case. I am just a little curious as to how he learned so much about me."

"Perhaps he is like Zhao Wuji?" Yunxiang suggested. "Does he have someone backing him?"

Chen Changsheng considered it. That was indeed a possibility.

The conferring of a celestial official had indeed drawn the covetous eyes of many demons and cultivators. The human dao qi fortune was no longer something that went ignored like in the past.

Yunxiang continued, "Prince Jin didn't say a word about his intentions at the banquet today. He's likely waiting for the right moment to lay it all out for you, Mister. What are your thoughts?"

"This Chen will sit and watch."

"You are joking again, Mister."

Chen Changsheng smiled. "I won't interfere in these matters. The world is far too chaotic to see through clearly."

Yunxiang nodded.

Chen Changsheng added, "Prince Jin seems a bit impatient, though. I expect he'll be here shortly."

"So soon?"

Yunxiang was a little surprised.

Chen Changsheng nodded. "By the looks of it, Prince Jin knows quite a bit about my affairs."

Years ago in Jindi—specifically along the route from Qiuyue Fang to Shangjing—Chen Changsheng had indeed left behind a trail of deeds. If Prince Jin had interacted with the people or demons in those parts, it made sense that he would have heard the stories.

It was exactly as Chen Changsheng had predicted.

Within half a shichen, Prince Jin arrived at the courtyard with a few of his guards.

A warm smile rested on the Prince's face the entire time. He didn't even let his guards step through the doors, choosing to enter the residence by himself.

"What do you think of this place, Mister?" he asked.

Chen Changsheng replied, "The courtyard is peaceful. I must thank you, Your Highness."

Prince Jin smiled. "I am glad you are satisfied, Mister."

After they sat down, a servant brought tea.

The Prince then dismissed the servant, leaving him and Chen Changsheng alone in the courtyard's pavilion.

Prince Jin was an impatient man and spoke directly. "I had heard of your deeds before, Mister. The mountain ghosts in the wild told me that with a single word, you forged a True Dragon, your Magical Power so boundless that wicked demons scatter wherever you pass. Lesser demons in the temples have even told me that you are a peerless True Immortal. Meeting you today and witnessing your extraordinary bearing, your immortal wind and dao bones, I am left in endless admiration."

Chen Changsheng cupped his hands. "You overpraise me, Your Highness. This Chen is no True Immortal. I possess nothing more than a meager bit of Dao Cultivation."

Prince Jin let out a hearty laugh. "You are far too humble, Mister! If your Dao Cultivation is merely meager, then how could any cultivator under the heavens ever have the face to practice Cultivation?"

Chen Changsheng smiled before asking, "You seem to have had quite a bit of contact with cultivators, demons, and ghosts, Your Highness."

Prince Jin replied, "The lands I have traversed are overrun with demons and ghosts, and I have had the good fortune to visit a few masters hidden deep in the mountains. Once, when a malevolent ghost sought to harm me, I was only saved thanks to the help of an expert from Quanshan. I was deeply distressed. From then on, I began recruiting capable talents into my camp, treating them as honored guests."

He smiled, then added, "I know your abilities reach the heavens, Mister, so naturally I have the desire to recruit you. I intercepted your carriage today for this exact reason."

"If you agree to help me witness the destiny of this world, Mister, when the realm is finally united, I shall bestow upon you the position of Imperial Preceptor. With the blessings of a celestial official and boundless qi destiny, wouldn't that be a beautiful thing?"