Chapter 60: I'm Not as Good as You

Lin Qian's inquiry prompted a middle-aged woman to step forward quickly. "Lord Lu, Lord Tang, and Lord Zhuge are all busy in the back," she reported.

Upon hearing this, Lin Qian nodded. "Lead the way."

As soon as Lin Qian spoke, the women in front of him dispersed, and the middle-aged woman curtsied before turning to lead him deeper into the courtyard.

Following her for a short while, Lin Qian soon arrived at the rear of the estate. In the back courtyard, three people hurriedly emerged from a tightly sealed hall to greet him.

"Zhuge Ming greets Your Majesty!" one of them said. It was none other than Zhuge Ming, the Prime Minister of the Huaxia Empire and head of the Heavenly Works Division.

The other two were a man and a woman. The man was dressed in the special leather attire of a craftsman, though his materials appeared more precious, and he carried even more tools than usual. He appeared middle-aged, with two small mustaches on his upper lip, and a sharp, intelligent expression.

Beside him, the woman wore a brocade dress, exuding grace. As she bowed to Lin Qian, her slender fingers were particularly noticeable.

"Lu Gong greets Your Majesty," the man said.

"Tang Zhi greets Your Majesty," the woman added.

Lin Qian nodded slightly, signaling for the three to rise.

Lu Gong was a master craftsman who led the smithing department, and Tang Zhi was skilled in weaving, overseeing the female workers. Together, they governed the entire Fireworks Division.

"I assume Your Majesty is here to check on the progress of the gift for the Empress?" Zhuge Ming smiled as he approached Lin Qian after rising.

Lin Qian nodded, heading directly into the hall. "How's the progress? There isn't much time left."

As he spoke, Lin Qian entered the dark hall, where only a few faint glimmers of light were visible in the center. Lu Gong quickly lit the lamps, revealing that all the windows had been nailed shut and covered with heavy curtains.

"Your Majesty, we were just testing the effect earlier. Since the gift isn't fully completed yet, we could only use a small amount of soul power to activate it, so the effect isn't obvious. We had to block out the sunlight to observe it properly," Tang Zhi explained as she approached Lin Qian.

Looking at the gift in the center of the hall, Lin Qian nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. If Xin'er receives this gift, she'll be very pleased."

"It is our duty to fulfill Your Majesty's wishes and make the Empress happy," Lu Gong said as he bowed.

"Now, tell me, what reward do you wish for?" Lin Qian asked with a smile, his gaze still on the gift.

"Your Majesty, I only played a minor role in this matter. The real credit belongs to Lord Lu and Lady Tang. Please reward them generously," Zhuge Ming quickly interjected.

Lin Qian nodded silently, turning to Lu Gong and Tang Zhi. "Speak up, both of you. Whatever reward you want, just say it."

The two immediately bowed again, humbly declining any reward, insisting that their contributions were minor.

Hearing their response, Lin Qian chuckled and shook his head. "How about this—material rewards are too mundane, and you're not exactly in need. I'll grant you a seven-day vacation. During this time, you and your craftsmen and female workers are free to rest and enjoy yourselves."

Lu Gong and Tang Zhi were momentarily stunned before their faces lit up with joy. They knelt down and expressed their gratitude. "We thank Your Majesty for your great kindness on behalf of everyone."

Since the Huaxia Empire had arrived in this world, many aspects of their society had integrated with the new environment, including the emergence of soul power and martial souls. Naturally, their old equipment and armor needed to be modified. Recently, Lin Qian had brought them numerous books, leading to breakthroughs in their research and allowing them to start working.

The immense workload had the Fireworks Division working day and night, leaving everyone exhausted. Without Lin Qian's orders, they wouldn't dare to rest, and even if they did, they had no complaints. However, this kind of reward from Lin Qian felt like a divine blessing.

Zhuge Ming, standing nearby, couldn't help but laugh. His emperor was indeed quite capricious.

"After all, I don't need such a large army right now, and it's not wartime. There's no need to push so hard," Lin Qian said as he approached Zhuge Ming. "Balance work and rest, understood?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Zhuge Ming bowed in response.

"Notify me when it's completed." With that, Lin Qian's body flashed with white light, and he disappeared from the Huaxia Empire.

After Lin Qian left, Zhuge Ming looked at Lu Gong and Tang Zhi, smiling. "You two didn't dare to ask for a reward, but His Majesty offered you a seven-day vacation instead. Haha!"

"His Majesty's consideration for us is truly overwhelming," Lu Gong said, his voice filled with gratitude.

"Indeed. I must hurry and share this good news with the girls," Tang Zhi said, her face glowing with joy as she turned to leave.

Zhuge Ming chuckled as he shook his head. "Lord Tang is always in a rush. Old Lu, isn't this the perfect occasion to treat me to a drink?"

"Absolutely! Let's head to my place," Lu Gong said as he grabbed Zhuge Ming, and the two of them disappeared in a flash of white light.

By the time Lin Qian returned to his bedroom, it was already night. Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he closed his eyes and entered a state of cultivation, circulating the Emperor's Art.

In his dantian, the once vast star-like soul power had disappeared, replaced by a fog-like concentration of soul power. Previously, the soul power had swirled together like a nebula. But after breaking through to the Nirvana Realm, the concentration of soul power had reached a new level, forming a mist-like state.

Amidst the fog, two glowing forces shimmered—one a crimson-gold thunder, the other a white-blue cold aura. These were the powers of the Heavenly Night Sword and the Cloud Sword.

As Lin Qian entered his cultivation state, his mind became calm, with only one thought—becoming stronger.

The next day, the testing grounds were bustling with activity as many Inner Sect disciples gathered, all heading toward the ninth battle platform. Their destination was clear: they were there to witness the match between Lin Qian and Ding Zhirong.

"What do you think? Who will win between Ding Zhirong and Lin Qian?"

"It's hard to say. Lin Qian is quite strange, but Ding Zhirong might be stronger."

"What makes you say that?"

"Zhao Haiming himself said he's not as good as Ding Zhirong."

"No way! Zhao Haiming is the number one disciple in the Inner Sect. How strong must Ding Zhirong be?"

"Ding Zhirong is here!"

As someone shouted, a figure leaped over the crowd surrounding the battle platform and landed steadily on the ninth platform. The young man had short hair, sharp eyebrows, and bright eyes. Though somewhat handsome, a centipede-like scar on his face made him look intimidating.

This man was Ding Zhirong.

With a calm expression, Ding Zhirong, dressed in black, stood on the platform and closed his eyes, waiting silently.

"Here comes Young Emperor Lin Qian!" Suddenly, another shout arose from the crowd as people parted to make way.

Leading the way, Lin Qian walked toward the battle platform, followed closely by Lei Qian and the members of the Benlei Division. As Lin Qian stepped onto the platform, Ding Zhirong abruptly opened his eyes and stared at him intently.

After a moment, Ding Zhirong spoke, and his words were like a bombshell, shocking everyone.

"I'm not as good as you. The challenge is canceled."