Soul Emperor Awakening

Chief Appraiser. It was the first time they had heard this title. The crucial point was that Lin Xuan was the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion’s Chief Appraiser, a fact unknown to anyone besides Zi Yi and Lü De.

"Chief Appraiser?" Lu Sheng’s surprise gave way to a doubtful gaze as he sized up Lin Xuan. He simply couldn’t see anything about him that screamed ’Chief Appraiser’.

Luo Xiao and the others exchanged glances. Lin Xuan had such an incredible background? The thought alone was intimidating. An Inner Hall Disciple of Qingcheng Mansion on the verge of becoming a Core Disciple, a Fourth Grade Pattern Master and an Honored Guest of the Pattern Master Association, *and* the Chief Appraiser of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion!

"Such a young Appraiser... what is it that Brother Lin appraises?" Lu Sheng pressed, refusing to let it go.

Lin Xuan frowned. This Lu Sheng was clearly hostile toward him and, more importantly, had his eyes on Zi Yi. However, Zi Yi had absolutely no interest in him. Her expression said it all. The moment Lu Sheng got close, she deliberately shifted away. Anyone who wasn’t a complete idiot could tell she disliked him.

But he, on the other hand, showed no self-awareness at all, leaning in closer and still directing hostility at Lin Xuan.

’So this guy thinks I’m his love rival?’ Lin Xuan was annoyed. ’Isn’t it a bit much to assume any man who comes near is a rival?’

’But I have a feeling it’s not that simple. Judging by his attire, he doesn’t seem to be from the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. If not the Pavilion, then... is he from the Royal Family?’

"I just appraise Weapons. Is there a problem with that?" Lin Xuan said with a faint smile.

"No problem at all. I’m just a bit surprised you know so much," Lu Sheng said with a smile, reaching out to pat Lin Xuan’s shoulder in a seemingly friendly gesture. "My apologies, I almost forgot to introduce myself. My name is Lu Sheng, and I serve the Eldest Prince. I was wondering if Brother Lin has any interest in joining his faction."

Such a blatant recruitment attempt! To try and rope in Lin Xuan so directly, in front of so many people and without the slightest hesitation... it was unexpected, even for Lin Xuan himself.

Just as he’d suspected. He had wondered if Lu Sheng served the Eldest Prince, which would explain the immediate hostility. It was common knowledge that Lin Xuan was considered to be on the Third Prince’s side. He had allied with the Liu Family, maintained a good relationship with the Shang Family, and had a major falling out with the Fang and Huang Families—both of whom were part of the Eldest Prince’s faction.

Anyone with even a sliver of information would know that recruiting Lin Xuan to the Eldest Prince’s side would be difficult. The fact that Lu Sheng still dared to try meant he clearly wasn’t ready to give up.

Luo Xiao and the others stared at Lin Xuan, wondering how he would respond. If he actually chose to join the Eldest Prince’s faction, his friendships with Liu Menghua and Shang Zhihao would be over.

But before Lin Xuan could even open his mouth, someone else stepped forward and cut in. "Lu Sheng, you really are shameless. Lin Yunlong is the Third Prince’s man. Do you really think you can sway him?" The newcomer was one of the Third Prince’s men, a man named Meng Xuan.

He had immediately shut Lu Sheng down, directly classifying Lin Xuan as one of the Third Prince’s men, which was a rather presumptive claim. While Lin Xuan did intend to join the Third Prince’s faction, he had never publicly declared his allegiance.

As for the Second Prince, he was a complete non-factor—practically eliminated from the running. Thus, of the three people sent by the Royal Family, two were from the Eldest Prince’s side, which just went to show how domineering his faction was.

Meng Xuan’s words made Lu Sheng frown. "Has Brother Lin ever said he was joining the Third Prince’s faction?" he retorted.

He then turned to Lin Xuan with a faint smile. "Join the Eldest Prince’s faction, and you can have whatever you want. Celestial Level Martial Arts, all kinds of Elixir Pills, even Spiritual Artifacts are no problem! I doubt the Third Prince’s faction can give you anything comparable."

He threw out all sorts of tempting offers to win Lin Xuan over, while at the same time directly slandering the Third Prince’s faction as being powerless to do the same.

"Is that so? The Third Prince can provide everything you just mentioned!" Meng Xuan snorted.

The conflict between the two princes was common knowledge by now. The Great Emperor of the Soaring Dragon Empire hadn’t uttered a single word on the matter, obviously giving his tacit approval for their struggle. One couldn’t help but wonder if this Great Emperor was a bit too heartless, ignoring his own flesh and blood as they vied to destroy one another.

No one knew what the Great Emperor was truly thinking. For now, at least, he remained silent.

With a series of benefits laid out before him, all eyes fell on Lin Xuan, waiting to see his response. His answer would determine his future allegiance and, more importantly, which side he was choosing.

Lin Xuan looked at Lu Sheng and said with a faint smile, "If I join the Eldest Prince’s faction..."

He paused. A look of delight flashed in Lu Sheng’s eyes. Meng Xuan and his group, not expecting such a turn, were about to speak in anger when Lin Xuan continued, "...in exchange for rewards? I already have Celestial Level Martial Arts, so why would I need to join? How about this: why don’t you join us? I can give you Elixir Pills, Celestial Level Martial Arts, and Weapons. What do you say?"

The crowd was stunned for a moment. Anyone who wasn’t a complete fool could see that Lin Xuan was deliberately mocking Lu Sheng.

Lu Sheng froze, and his expression turned cold. A vicious glint flashed in his eyes as he said in a low voice, "Is that so? Then all I can say is, what a shame. I hope you’ve made a wise choice." With a cold snort, he turned on his heel and walked away, not saying another word to Lin Xuan.

Once Meng Xuan recovered, he extended a hand. "I almost forgot to introduce myself. My name is Meng Xuan. I’m thrilled that you’ve decided to join the Third Prince’s faction!"

Shang Zhihao and Liu Menghua both breathed a sigh of relief. If Lin Xuan had really joined the Eldest Prince, their friendship would have been over. The two factions were as incompatible as fire and water; they would never have been allowed to associate with him again.

But Lin Xuan didn’t take his hand. Instead, he shook his head. "I never said I was joining the Third Prince’s faction, either. Brother Meng, I think you’ve misunderstood something."

Meng Xuan froze, not quite understanding what Lin Xuan meant.

"To be honest, I haven’t given it much thought. I’d prefer to remain independent for the time being and don’t want to join any faction yet. Of course, when I do decide to join one, I will consider joining the Third Prince’s ranks. I won’t be considering the Eldest Prince. You can rest assured on that point," Lin Xuan said with a smile.

It was undeniable that the Lin Family sided with the Third Prince, but that didn’t mean he was obligated to join the faction. For now, he didn’t want to get involved in the dispute. While it might seem like he was already standing with the Third Prince, that was only because the Eldest Prince’s faction had been foolish enough to provoke him; he hadn’t gone out of his way to pick a fight.

His words left them stunned. Meng Xuan shook his head with a wry smile. "Then we’ll respect your wishes, Brother Lin. Whenever you’ve made up your mind, please be sure to let us know."

"I will," Lin Xuan smiled. As he turned his head, he happened to catch Zi Yi’s admiring gaze; his answer had clearly satisfied her.

The wisest choice right now was to join neither side, even if the Third Prince had the upper hand. The moment he joined, he would make countless enemies. By not joining, the only major power he had offended so far was the Fang Family.

’This was what he had been thinking all along. He wasn’t powerful enough yet, so how could he dare to rashly join any faction? Most importantly, this way gave him more freedom to act!’

Meanwhile, Lu Sheng stood in the distance, his gaze fixed on their group. A sneer formed on his lips as he looked at Lin Xuan. "I knew you would refuse. But I’m afraid this is the last time you’ll get to..."

"That’s right. He won’t be able to speak ever again." A man standing beside him added, his face grim and his eyes filled with venomous resentment.

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