Chapter 9: One Person Is Enough
Qi Zheng’s mood was especially strange right now, with a faint, indescribable feeling he had never experienced before.
Before, he had always seen this demon inside that stone tablet. Now the demon was actually standing right in front of him. The feeling was both unreal and real.
In Chen Bai’s words, it was the feeling of meeting an online friend for the first time.
Whether it would be a disaster upon meeting in person, no one knew.
The porcelain pieces were carried into the residence one by one. Only then did the crowd reluctantly come back to their senses, looking as if they had not seen enough. They even craned their necks to keep peering inside.
“They truly are exquisite. I wonder if we’ll ever have another chance to see them.”
“I’ll submit a calling card to Prince Zheng later. No matter what, I must ask him to let me look at them again.”
At this moment, Chen Bai had not forgotten what he had come here to do. He was not here just to deliver gifts.
He stepped forward, walked up to a table, picked up a brush, and wrote the two characters “Mountain Lord” on a clean register lying on the table.
In the entire register, there was only this one name.
Registering and recording the names of retainers—Qi Zheng’s establishment of his residence today could now be considered not entirely empty.
Qi Zheng’s expression was extremely odd. This demon was actually not bad. He had helped him quite a lot.
It was just that the register for his retainers now had a demon written in it, and it was the only name there. It felt rather strange.
The steward beside him looked toward Qi Zheng and reminded the slightly dazed Qi Zheng, “Your Highness…”
Qi Zheng glanced at the register, then finally nodded.
In any case, he could not leave the register blank. For now, he could only borrow this demon’s identity.
Not long after, a servant ran out from the residence, holding a token.
Qi Zheng took it, then handed it to Chen Bai. “With this token, from this day forward, you are a retainer of my residence. You may enter and leave without obstruction…”
It was nothing more than some grand, proper-sounding words, an official acknowledgment of this person.
This was the usual procedure.
Chen Bai accepted the token. One side was carved with the words “Mountain Lord,” while the other side bore the character “Zheng.”
This was a retainer’s token. The characters should have been carved just now. With this token, one could smoothly enter Qi Zheng’s residence and even meet Qi Zheng more conveniently.
Crown Prince Jiao was also watching Chen Bai. He had gone so far as to seize Qi Zheng’s loyal retainers just so Qi Zheng would lose face on the day he established his residence.
Yet now, this so-called Mountain Lord had ruined everything.
He was also somewhat puzzled. Where had this tactless fellow come from? It was as if he had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Any truly famous scholar or master would have had a reputation that spread far and wide long ago.
He really could not guess who this person was.
However, although Qi Zheng had not left the register completely blank, and the result was far from what he had wanted, having only one retainer was still an enormous joke.
Crown Prince Jiao adjusted the expression on his face and said, “Congratulations, Imperial Brother. The name Mountain Lord has been spreading like wildfire recently. Even I, though residing in the Eastern Palace, have heard of it. However, since both you and I are present here, it seems somewhat improper for this retainer of yours to keep wearing a mask.”
Without waiting for a reaction, he continued, “Then again, Imperial Brother spent many years in Great Zhao. Perhaps Great Zhao’s etiquette differs from that of our Great Qian. If there are areas where his instruction is lacking, it is understandable.”
The people around them immediately reacted. Wasn’t what Crown Prince Jiao said reasonable? With the crown prince and a prince standing right before him, this person was still wearing a mask. Great Qian had no such custom.
Their gazes could not help turning toward Qi Zheng. As expected, just as the rumors in the marketplace said, Prince Zheng had been sent to Great Zhao from a young age and lacked proper upbringing. Even the retainers of his residence did not understand the rules. Such small details revealed much.
Qi Zheng said in a deep voice, “As for the rules of my residence, I need not trouble Imperial Brother to worry about them…”
Before he could finish, Crown Prince Jiao interrupted him. “Imperial Brother, aside from Mountain Lord, why do I not see any other retainers?”
He had failed to leave the register blank, so the effect was slightly lessened. But it was still a joke.
With apparent casualness, Crown Prince Jiao pulled the topic back.
The crowd had been stunned by the chest of porcelain just now and had nearly forgotten why they had come to watch the excitement in the first place.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Crown Prince Jiao’s mouth. What happened just now was only an accident. Let’s see how Qi Zheng would end this today.
Chen Bai smiled too. There it was. He had waited so long without opening his mouth precisely for this arrogance from Crown Prince Jiao.
What could be more satisfying than extinguishing that arrogance directly?
He had spent money to hire a procession, spent money without asking for anything in return to buy congratulatory gifts. Did his money fall from the sky? But as long as it let him vent his anger, none of that mattered.
Anger could make people lose reason and do things that were not beneficial to themselves, but he did not reject it.
Under everyone’s mocking gazes, and before Crown Prince Jiao’s disgusting, sanctimonious appearance, that strange figure in red suddenly stepped forward and picked up the register.
He opened his mouth. His voice was not loud, yet the scene became so quiet that even a falling needle could have been heard.
“Crown Prince Jiao jests. Since my name has already been written in this register, how could there be room for anyone else?”
“If the retainer and strategist is unmatched under heaven, one person is enough.”
“Unlike some people, who accept just about anyone in order to fill out appearances. To put it nicely, they call it a bustling household. In my eyes, it is nothing remarkable—merely a group of tools used for showing off.”
Hiss.
What had they just heard?
Even Qi Zheng parted his lips slightly. This demon now seemed as if he were radiating light—wicked light, so dazzling that one could hardly open one’s eyes.
As for everyone else present, their hearts clenched. He was far too arrogant. He had actually called other people’s retainers and strategists tools for showing off. Nothing remarkable…
Crown Prince Jiao usually flaunted his residence full of retainers at formal occasions. In the past, people had only praised and admired him, right? No one had ever considered that if he flaunted them too much, perhaps he was being a little too vain. Taking in so many retainers—could there really be no intention of padding out appearances? At the very least, it was not the conduct of a modest man.
The smile on Crown Prince Jiao’s face froze just like that. He had come today to watch a joke. He had never expected to be dragged into the scene himself.
Although Chen Bai had not named him directly, no matter how he looked at it, he felt as if the words were aimed at him. This was mocking him in front of everyone.
“Nothing remarkable.” Crown Prince Jiao’s face suddenly turned severe, completely unlike his usual sanctimonious appearance. “Imperial Brother has truly accepted an astonishingly arrogant retainer. Is he not afraid that a strong wind might flash his tongue?”
Chen Bai looked at the crown prince, whose expression had begun to change. In his heart, he thought, he was practically slapping him in the face now. Let’s see how long Crown Prince Jiao could endure.
Today, he might have to borrow Qi Zheng’s hand to vent this anger. Otherwise, his resentment would not be soothed, and his grudge would not fade.
Crown Prince Jiao continued, “Are you belittling all other retainers and strategists?”
“Or do you truly believe that you can stand against a hundred alone—that with your talent alone, you can surpass the strength of an entire residence of others?”
His voice carried sharpness. Since he had long occupied a high position, he did possess some imposing dignity.
Yet Chen Bai smiled. “I have long heard that every retainer in the crown prince’s residence is the best under heaven. Your praises have been spread so widely that no one in the entire capital is unaware of them. Could it be that they do not even have the confidence to stand one against a hundred?”
Chen Bai narrowed his eyes. “If that is the case, then in my eyes, what the crown prince keeps is merely a group of useless freeloaders. At most, they make up the numbers. They are not worth mentioning.”
What Crown Prince Jiao was most proud of was his residence full of retainers. Only by striking at what the other party cared about most could he make him understand pain that sank into the bones.
As for offending Crown Prince Jiao, he was using the identity of Mountain Lord. What was there for him to be afraid of?
The people around them listened in a daze. They could not help swallowing. They had only come to watch the excitement. They had not expected to witness such a brilliant scene.
But what he said seemed to make sense. They had always heard people boast about how powerful the crown prince’s retainers were. If they did not even have this little confidence, how could they live up to all those hollow reputations?
The situation was now very clear. The second prince’s residence only had this one retainer, which should have been a massive joke. But this retainer had spoken arrogantly, saying that since his name had been written in the register, there was no room for anyone else, and that he had the talent to stand against a hundred alone.
He had twisted what was clearly a great joke into something else entirely—even faintly using it to spread the reputation of the second prince’s residence.
There was also a hint that he was belittling Crown Prince Jiao for keeping a residence full of rabble and chasing empty fame.
“Good, good.” Crown Prince Jiao said the word twice. Useless freeloaders? Merely making up numbers?
No matter how one looked at it, those words seemed to be insinuating him. What a fine Prince Zheng. He had clearly come to watch a joke today, yet now he himself had been placed in the storm.
On Qi Zheng’s side, the steward’s heart was trembling. He kept signaling to Qi Zheng with his eyes.
What should they do? If this could not be wrapped up, what then? Wouldn’t this be adding frost to snow, a joke within a joke?
Qi Zheng raised his brows. This demon was actually provoking Crown Prince Jiao!
Although he had not said it outright, Qi Zheng had a feeling that every word this demon spoke seemed to be aimed at Crown Prince Jiao.
Right now, this demon was a retainer of his residence, so to some extent, his words and actions also represented Qi Zheng’s attitude.
Should he stop him?
The corner of Qi Zheng’s mouth lifted. Why should he stop him?
Having only one retainer was already a joke. Since it was already fact, he might as well go along with this reckless demon. If he really stirred up something, who would become the joke today was still uncertain.
Even if he failed, at most it would only give others a little more to laugh at. When one owed too much, one no longer worried about more debt.
Crown Prince Jiao said darkly, “Imperial Brother has indeed gained an extraordinary retainer. I simply do not know whether he truly has skill, or whether he is merely speaking wildly.”
“How about this? Since Imperial Brother’s retainer believes he has the talent to stand against a hundred alone, why not let him compete with the retainers of my residence? That would also complete his reputation.”
Qi Zheng glanced at Chen Bai, only to see a glimmer flash in the demon’s eyes.
Sure enough, everything this demon had done just now was to provoke Crown Prince Jiao into saying these words.
His goal was actually to compete against the retainers of Crown Prince Jiao’s residence. But why?
Qi Zheng could not figure it out, and there was no time for him to think further. He said one word, “Very well.”
Since he had decided to go along with this demon, there was no harm in pushing the boat with the current.
Crown Prince Jiao added, “There are many retainers in my residence, each skilled in different fields. The contents of the competition will be rather broad. As for Imperial Brother’s retainer, there is only one person…”
This was what Qi Zheng worried about most as well. After all, each profession had its own expertise.
But then Chen Bai lightly said, “Just line them up. I will compete with them one by one.”
If he only defeated one or two retainers, how could he trample Crown Prince Jiao into the mud?
Besides, what Crown Prince Jiao’s retainers would be competing against was not Chen Bai alone, but the knowledge, skills, and technology inherited over thousands of years in his phone—the wisdom accumulated across countless eras and from millions upon millions of people.
As soon as his voice fell, the only sound around them was sharp intakes of breath.
“One against a hundred” was nothing more than a phrase. But now, he actually intended to put it into practice.
Crown Prince Jiao’s face darkened instantly. He truly meant to fight his entire residence of more than a hundred retainers by himself!
Win or lose, this was an insult to him!
